New York City MN Murder Case
by Death Files
Summary: Mello is back from the dead to taunt Near, and with him a new murder case in which Mello is the culprit. When Near seeks help from a mysterious woman, he doesn't know she has an ulterior motive: bring Mello and himself together. [MelloxNear]
1. Emotion

**_New York City M.N. Murder Case_**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note nor Death Note: Another Note. I do own Elena Cabestan.

* * *

Category: Mystery/Crime, Romance, Humor.

Rated: T for dark themes like murder, death, rape, etc.

Characters: Near, Mello, Lidner, Gevanni, Rester, OC.

Pairings: MelloxNear, LidnerxOC, LightxL (implied).

Warnings: One of the main characters is an OC whose role is basically to bring Mello and Near together.

 **Check my profile for further informations and** **feel free to pm me**.

 **Please read and review!**

 **Enjoy!**

 ** _C_.**

A little helper:

"..." = direct dialogues.

 _Italics_ = characters' thoughts.

 _ **[Bolditalics]**_ = L's speech through an electronic device when he is not physically present.

* * *

 _ **New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 1: Emotion**

If you're reading this, it means that everything has finally come to an end.

You probably remember L, the world's greatest detective. You must also remember Kira, the worst narcissist serial killer the earth has ever known. You should know that L is dead, as is Kira.

They both thought they were Justice. They both thought they were the best. They both thought they were going to win.  
And they both were wrong. Alone, they couldn't win. So they died.

Then, the second L rose. Or should I say the _two_ second L. Near and Mello. Mello and Near. They fought each other. But in the end, they worked together, though unwillingly, and they won. _They_ were the best.

You probably remember the Los Angeles B.B. Murder Case which opposed L and the psychopath serial killer Beyond Birthday. Don't you remember he didn't work alone on that case? Yes, he asked for help. He asked for the FBI agent Naomi Misora. He won.

Even the world's greatest detective has weaknesses, and sometimes being the best also means accept those flaws and overcome them.

That is what the first L did, but I am sure you already know that.

But did you know the same story happened to the second L?

I am quite sure you don't know that.

You probably think Mello is dead.

At least, that's what we all thought, including me...

...Until the second L was forced to deal with a case he was unable to solve by himself, so he asked for help. He asked— actually, he didn't _really_ ask but nevermind— for the french criminologist and lawyer Elena Cabestan. And he won.

But thanks to that woman, he didn't only beat a criminal, he beat his own weakness. He discovered emotions, he found the only thing his life lacked, he found love...

He found Mello.

Yes, I know what you are going to tell me: ''but we saw him dead! Takada wrote his name in the Death Note, he had a heart attack and he died in the truck! Everything was on fire! He can't be alive!''

Yes, I know all that for I was the one who arrived at the accident site first. There was nothing left but fire, believe me.

But I can assure you one thing: Mello _did_ survive.

And he spent months trying to catch the attention of his former enemy, Near. Why do I use the word 'former' you may ask? Well, let's say that Mello and Near didn't always feel solely anger towards each other...

Planning his fake death and hiding for months as an outlaw could appear as drastic measures for you, and you would probably be right.

But the truth is, it was the only way.

Mello did catch Near's attention. The only thing he didn't know was that he actually had always been Near's centre of attention.

And for the first time in forever, Mello, the eternal second, won.

Yes, for the first time in forever, no one lost the battle, nor the game.

Mello and Near won. They both were the best. _Together_.

My name is Halle Bullook, but I'm better known as Hal Lidner, former CIA agent and now a current agent of the SPK, which then became the SPM (Special Provision for Mello), and I am going to tell you the true story of a clever woman who succeeded in bringing two mortal enemies together.

The strong independent woman who managed to reconcile Mello and Near.

The extraordinary woman who was the only one capable of turning hatred and rivalry into love.

That is the story of the _New York City M.N. Murder Case._

* * *

''Ladies and gentlemen, hello,'' a smooth voice spoke in the microphone.

A rather young and beautiful woman was sitting behind the pulpit, facing the amphitheater full of excited students who were struggling to maintain their calm in front of their new French Penal Law professor. A warm smile tugging on her red lips, her golden locks sprawling all over her cheeks, the professor was already enchanting the whole crowd in front of her as everyone was staring at her in bliss and puzzlement.

''I am Professor Elena Cabestan. As I am sure you all have read your timetables very carefully,'' she coughed slightly, showing her true thoughts on the matter, gathering some laughs from the young people, ''you must be aware that I will be teaching you French Penal Law and Criminal Science during this semester.''

She stopped, tapping her nails on the pulpit, and then, ''I hope you won't mind my french accent, but...'' She chuckled, filling the entire theater with a light lovely sound. ''I heard you americans find that accent quite sexy so I guess I should use that accent with pride rather than shame.''

Some giggles and nods of the head showed the general agreement of her fascinated audience. Elena's smile widened. Then, as if she was regaining her senses, she pursed her lips severely, as if finally reminding why she was there in the first place.

She cleared her throat. ''So, now that I have introduced myself... Before I start the actual lesson for what I am being paid, I must remind you some of the rules which shall lead my teaching here all along this semester we will have the pleasure— at least, I hope— to spend together.''

She paused, patting the wooden desk with her red nails once again. An assembly of silent and obedient young women and men was glaring right back at her, only waiting for her to continue.

 _Perfect._

Oh, how she loved being the centre of attention...

''First, I do not tolerate any delayed arrival. So when the class begins, the doors will be shut and you'll have to wait until the next hour,'' she shrugged nonchalantly as if these rules were none of her concern. ''Secondly, I hate chats and whispers while I am talking, so if you are not willing to listen to me, you'll simply have to leave, by will or by force. Thirdly, the thing that I absolutely can't stand is people interrupting me, and—''

The young woman widened her eyes in shock when she gazed down at her computer screen. A huge noise echoed within the auditorium, causing everyone to startle. And then, the image appearing on the professor's screen was projected right behind her back, on the immense white display hung on the wall.

A white screen in the center of which stood a big single letter written in some kind of an old gothic elegant script. A huge, beautiful, black...

 **L**

Elena shuddered from tip to toe. The crowd was nothing more than a combination of confused gasps of shock and anticipation.

She stuttered, suddenly losing all her former composure. ''W-What? Who the—''

 _ **[L.]**_

An owl electronally processed voice rang in the entire hall, piercing the eardrums of all the bemused audience witnessing that unrealistic scene.

 _Who the hell... Wait. L? Who the L? Ahah. Good joke._

Elena sighed in exasperation as she rubbed her temples with her fingertips.

 _That must be a kid, this is the only reasonable explanation... Keep cool, Elena._

 _ **[It is nice to meet you, Professor Cabestan. I am L.]**_ The voice stated simply.

The young woman turned around on her chair and looked at the immense screen clinging on the wall.

''What's the meaning of this?! Whoever you are, I'm asking you to stop this foolishness right away! You have no idea who you're talking to! This is a law course, you are just interfering in the smooth functionning of a university and this is hardly—''

 _ **[I know exactly what I am doing, Miss Cabestan. The thing is I have no other choice but to contact you in your workplace. I apologize about that rather rude and innapropriate manner of reaching to you, Professor. But I am sure you will understand my course of action as soon as you will know why I am addressing you.]**_

Elena Cabestan rose from her pulpit, clenching her fists in frustration.

''What the hell do you want?! You surely are a psychopath! You better stop that joke already or I can assure you that you will soon find yourself in great trouble!'' She shouted at the blank screen.

 _ **[Please, Miss Cabestan. I assure you I am nothing of the sort. I am currently acting in accordance with the advice of the university's Dean as well as the agreement of the New York City police. Now I am asking you to calm down and listen to me very carefully. Please do exactly as I say. Command the leave of all the students present in the amphitheater in the most quick and peaceful way.]**_

''What the hell is wrong with you?!'' The young professor yelled. ''There is no way I am ordering the evacuation of the whole amphitheater since I am supposed to lead a course here! Are you completely deaf or just naturally dumb?!''

She believed she heard a heavy sigh on the other side of the line.

 _ **[Fine. Then you leave me no choice. Rester, Gevanni, Lidner, you know what you have to do.]**_

The screen just switched off, as if nothing ever happened. The young woman didn't have enough time to turn away that her ears were painfully filled with crazy and frightened screams coming from everywhere. She didn't understand what could possibly be the cause of such panic provoking all the girls and boys previously sitting on the benches to rush towards the hall doors in pure disaster and fear. Less than one minute later, she was left alone in the large auditorium.

 _Well, that was a hell of a first class indeed!_ She growled.

As she looked up at the top of the amphitheater, she spotted two dark figures standing still right before the doors. She frowned, trying to distinguish who was waiting for her at the edge of the ranks. She sighed.

 _I guess I have nothing left to lose, now..._

She climbed down the steps which reached to the pulpit. She slowly walked towards the upper exits. One man and one woman were staring back at her emotionlessly. She allowed her gaze to sweep away those strange slender frames in front of her. Black suits, black ties, black shoes, and...

Black guns... pointed right to her.

 _This is definitely not my day._

''Ah, let me guess!'' Elena raised a thin hand at her chin, looking at the ceiling, feigning to think. ''You must be James Bond and James Bond girl, am I right?'' She glared at the two stoic beings with annoyance.

She was about to say something else, anything else to try and obtain any reaction from those blank livid faces in front of her, but something hit her right in the hollow of her neck. She was about to scream in pain but her vision blurred, her mouth went dry as she felt herself falling down.

One of the slender dark silhouettes suddenly rushed towards her. She was expecting to meet the ground full force soon enough, but some tender arms cupped her knees and waist right before the impact occurred. The last thing she saw was blond straight hair brushing her face in a silky caress and icy blue eyes staring down at her in concern.

Then, everything went black, just like the screen did a few minutes earlier.

* * *

''You shouldn't have shot her like this! You could have hurt her. And hurting her was probably the last thing L would wish.'' Said a deep, cutting voice above her, full of reproach.

''I didn't have the choice, Lidner. She was not willing to cooperate, you saw it yourself,'' a hoarse voice answered in a neutral tone.

Elena Cabestan moaned slightly as she became fully aware of the incredible headache and other numerous and diverse pains which were gradually overwhelming her senses. Her eyes flickered open as she tried to reach out to some kind of a warm light above her...

''Wait, Rester. She's waking up.''

Finally, she was able to fully open her eyes. She almost jerked back. She was apparently leaning in the lap of a certain platinium blonde woman who was staring at her, smiling lightly. Her own hand was resting on the woman's cheek whereas she had been sure she was touching the light which was looming over her. Well, it seems that light was nothing more than that blonde's face.

She surpressed a groan when she eventually found the strength to straighten up and sit back. She withdrew her hand, clearing her throat, and looked away from the blue pupils.

''Uh, I... I'm sorry,'' she grumbled between her teeth, escaping from what seemed to be her saviour's lap.

''It's not a big deal,'' the blonde smiled at her again. She took her hand in hers gently. ''Here, let me help you.'' She pulled her up in one single gesture.

''Thank you,'' she murmured awkwardly.

The older woman nodded silently.

''Lidner, bring her to me,'' a firm but yet smooth young voice called from behind her.

Lidner looked right into Elena's eyes and then down at their hands still interlaced, before she let go of the Professor's hand and placed a soothing hand on her back, urging her to follow her steps.

Cabestan swallowed and let herself be lead by the blonde woman. She was finally going to face her kidnapper. Or at least the brain of the operation.

''Here she is, L. As you requested,'' Lidner said, her voice laced with bitterness.

''Very well. Thank you, Rester, Gevanni, Lidner. You achievied a great job,'' the silky voice continued.

Elena couldn't believe her eyes. Her kidnapper, her captor, the crazy psychopath who had managed to call her during her own lesson, was nothing more than a curled up white figure in the middle of some kind of a toy tracks train.

 _This must be a joke. It has to be!_

Suddenly, the little frame straightened up and turned around to face her, rotating on his knees. It was a boy. Or should she say a man? Probably in between, she couldn't say. A childhish adult, let's say. Or was he an adultish child? Well, a non-aged boy all dressed in large shapeless white shirt and pants. Was this freak used to kidnap people while playing with little trains in pyjamas? It seems he was.

''Professor Cabestan, welcome to the SPK. Or should I say the SPM?'' The little man wondered as if for himself as one of his small hands reached up to twirl a short white lock of hair.

''Well, I hope you understand I'm not very pleased with the idea of saying thank you to an odd albino child who just drugged me and kidnapped me to bring me into some kind of a crazy game library building whose name I don't give a damn about,'' Elena snapped.

The white boy pursed his lips and looked at the small train slowly moving in the tracks next to him, as if lost in thought.

''You do make me think of someone... doesn't she, Lidner?'' The little head looked up at the blonde who was still standing right next to Cabestan.

Elena imitated her strange captor as she stared at the woman who seemed the only one to care about her well-being. Lidner raised an imperceptible smile.

''Yes, she does.'' She agreed quietly.

Elena sighed and decided to report her attention on the white-haired kid in front of her.

''What do you want from me? Why did you kidnap me?''

''I am sorry for this,'' the child looked down at the floor and grabbed a small figurine in his hand. ''Please forgive me, Miss Cabestan. But you left me no choice.'' He took another doll with his other hand and placed them side by side, both facing the new comer, as if willing for her to address those small humanoid statuettes.

''Well, I guess that if you were indeed willing to kidnap me, I was not going to open my arms and follow you blindly,'' Professor Cabestan rolled her eyes. ''Besides, if you are hoping for any valuable ransom, I must tell you you are awfully mistaken. I have no great capital, nor someone ready to pay for me, so...''

''I know that very well,'' the white man took two another figurines and placed them right behind the first ones. ''Actually, I was not willing to kidnap you. I just wanted to talk to you.''

''Well, you should reevaluate your standards of talking then,'' she crossed her arms on her chest, cleared annoyed, ''because normal people don't kidnap others just in order to _talk_.''

''I know. As I said earlier, I apologize for my course of action. I did not have a choice,'' the young man looked up at her. ''Actually, I need your help, Miss Cabestan. And I cannot afford myself to lose that opportunity by letting you go.''

''But... what is it you need my help for so badly? What do you want? And... and who are you?!'' Elena started to lose her patience as her hazel eyes shone with a threatening gleam of pure rage.

The boy stayed silent for a while, moving his little figurines thoughtfully. He didn't look up at the angry woman. The professor even wondered if he actually heard her, even though the contrary would be impossible.

''I need your help for a case. A murder case. I have heard you are one of the most skilled criminologists in the world, and I am currently facing a rather complicated case,'' he raised his hand to his head, twirling a white strand around his fingers.

''I am _L_ , the world's greatest detective.''

''Yeah, more like the greatest joker,'' Elena sneered. ''Whatever. I guess I don't have the choice anyway. But I must tell you something first: I am a theologian, not a practician. I don't deal with actual criminal cases. I just do some research and give some courses. I fail to see how my knowledge could be useful to you.''

L didn't even flinch at the provocation. He looked down at his left hand, Elena followed his gaze. She restrained a gasp of shock. Two little dolls were covering the top of his slender fingers.

''Lidner, Gevanni, Rester,'' the three startled at their names. ''Please leave us alone.''

Elena felt the blonde stiffen behind her. ''But L, we—''

''Do not worry, Lidner. I reckon Miss Cabestan has understood the gravity of the situation very well. She is not going to try anything to escape. You heard me, you can leave.''

The two men left the room in silence, Lidner withdrew her hand from the other woman's back— Elena just realized the blonde had been holding her back all along— and followed the two other agents reluctantly.

''So... What's the meaning of this, _L_?'' The young professor asked dryly.

Without bothering to answer, the detective just rose from the floor and let himself fall into the nearest wheeled chair, facing the dozen of blank screens. He pressed a button, and an image appeared, the same on all the giant screens.

It was her, Professor Elena Cabestan, speaking at the audience from her pulpit, during one of the many meetings she had given across the country. That one was in San Francisco if she reminded well.

''This is your last conference in San Francisco,'' the albino pointed to the screen. ''A conference about what you called "emotional crimes" or "crimes of passion". You explained how the emotions can be shown through the crimes scene and allow the police to provide a psychologic profile of the killer. Very interesting. I watched those videos again and again, and I must admit something caught my attention.''

Elena blinked, not sure if she should just thank the detective or try to understand why he found that conference oh so interesting.

''Ah, and may I ask what was it?'' She asked innocently.

''You spoke about the obsession the serial killer holds towards the detective who is hunting him down.'' L played with the four figurines, making them face one another. ''I have never heard of that— how did you call that? Ah, yes, _masochist fascination_ or _downfall pulsion_.'' He shook his fingers slightly, observing as the fingerdolls livened up in the same move. ''Killers who leave some hints on the murder scenes have the will to provoke and disturb the detective's mind because they are utterly fascinated by the feeling of someone actually searching for them and thinking about them all the time, night and day.'' He added a third fingerdoll on his middle finger. ''They crave for attention, even if that attention might lead them straight to their downfall, mostly by their arrest and condamnation.''

''I see you got quite deep into the subject...'' The young woman rested her hand on her chin as curiosity finally sank in her mind. ''May I know why this subject struck you so much?''

''In fact, the case I want you to help me with is quite special, to say the least.'' L switched off the little train, as if the noise was already getting to his head, even though his impassive features said nothing of the sort. ''In every murder scene are left some odd hints. Some robots, some dolls and other toys. I know those are there only for me to figure out.''

''So you think those toys are directed to you and you _only_?''

The white detective nodded slowly without even bothering to gaze up at his captive.

''And what makes you so sure about that? Don't you just feel concerned because you obviously have a thing for toys?'' Elena laughed sarcastically, looking down at the young man, slightly amused.

''No. I am concerned because...'' He muttered, grabbing a figurine in his pale hands.

''Those toys are mine.''

Cabestan gaped in astonishment. ''Wait. What? Those toys are _yours_? How is it even possible?!''

''Actually, there is one thing I omitted to tell you about this case.''

Elena arched an eyebrow.

''The thing is, I know exactly who the killer is.'' L tilted his head to the side, still staring at the small statuette in his hand.

''What?'' She burst out. ''Then why in the hell do you need my help? What are you waiting for to arrest him and close that case?''

For one second, the detective's black eyes flickered to her, and then looked back at the small toy.

''I do not need your help to arrest the murderer. I already know who he is, but I do not know how to reach to him.'' He pulled on the figurine, stretching its little hand. ''I may be the world's greatest detective, so one could say I am a genius gifted with an extraordinary mind... but nonetheless I am not perfect. I can indeed figure out approximately every mystery or case that was ever presented to me, but that case is special. It requests something I do not possess. That is why I need you, Miss Cabestan. I need you to give me that _something_. Together, we will catch him.'' He took another doll which looked more like a blonde female and placed it right next to the first one, which was totally white.

''This murderer is not any murderer to me, Miss Cabestan.'' He resumed twirling his hair in a perfect natural gesture. ''That is why I cannot arrest him like any other killer,'' he stated simply, as if exposing a very elaborated flawless rationale. ''I may be the mastermind, but unfortunately sometimes a mastermind would need more than his wits to figure everything out. To catch that special murderer, I need the only thing that I lack.''

''And... what do you lack?'' Cabestan frowned at him.

''Emotion.''

With that final revelation, Elena was left speechless.

''Now you understand why I need your help, don't you, Miss Cabestan?'' He placed the two figurines next to another one.

''Uh... yes, I suppose I do, but...'' She shook her head. ''I'm afraid I don't quite understand why you would need emotion in that particular case.''

''Because for once, I must not only catch that criminal. If it was just that, I would not need your help. I do not want to bring that murderer to justice, I want to _understand_ him. In order to do that, I need your professional knowledge about human emotions. That is the reason why you are here.'' L stretched his forefinger and middle finger towards her, showing the two little dolls agitating on top of his thin fingers. One was perfectly white, on its torso was written the letter L. The other one was black with golden locks and red lips, the letter on the chest was an elegant white E.

The professor whined silently in suppressed weariness.

 _So that sociopath makes his own dolls based on the people he meets. Even I have my own personnalized doll, how great!_

The young woman froze, remembering what the detective just told her. He didn't want to bring that criminal to justice. So why did he want to find him? Why did he want to understand him? He said he knew who it was. So... Wait. What if... Yes, it must be it.

''You personally know the killer, don't you, L? I bet he or she is even rather close to you, am I right?'' Elena kneeled in front of the small boy to place herself at his level in order to better observe his reaction.

If this move had surprised or unsettled him, the detective's black eyes showed nothing. The white-haired man raised his thumb to his mouth, a yellow and black doll pressed to his lips.

''Yes you are, Miss Cabestan,'' he looked down, as if lost in thought.

''Who is the killer, L?'' She asked quietly, as if afraid of the answer she would get.

The strange detective lowered his hand and picked one of the small statuettes he was playing with a few minutes ago and placed it right next to the L and E ones. Then he removed the top of the toy which was covering its head. A blonde head and white face distorted with an ugly red scar appeared to their sight. L grasped the figurine ever so slowly and held it in his arms, his dark orbs still cast on the floor.

''Mello.''

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

Thank you for reading! This is the first chapter of my new project of fanfiction, I hope you enjoyed it!

 **Check my profile or send me a pm if you'd like further informations.**

Tell me what you think about it!

 **Please follow and leave a review if you like that story, that would help me greatly!**

I have no name, but... You can call me C.

Bye bye, humans!

 ** _C._**


	2. Special Provision for Mello

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 2: Special Provision for Mello**

''Right, and...who is Mello?'' Professor Elena Cabestan quirked an eyebrow at the small white silhouette below her.

''He was raised at the same orphanage as myself.'' L turned the Mello figurine towards him and stared at it blankly. ''He was the other L's potential successor. He had tried everything to beat me. He was my rival.'' He rearranged the little statuette's hair carefully. ''Or at least, he thought he was.''

The young woman was sure that if that boy was actually a normal being, he would have let out at least an inaudible sight right there and then.

''Well, I can easily deduce that you won since you are the one who's calling himself L now...'' Cabestan rested a thin hand on her chin, looking up at the ceiling lost in thought.

''One could say that, yes,'' the white-haired man answered neutrally. ''In fact, it is quite more complicated than that...''

''What do you mean?'' She gave him a questioning glare.

''Officially, Mello is dead.'' The strange young male slowly pushed the figurine downwards with his pale hand until it lay on the floor, as dead as the person it represented was supposed to be.

''What?''

''Have you ever heard about the Kira case, Miss Cabestan?'' He surprisingly answered with another question.

''Uh...'' She brushed a hand in her golden hair. ''I believe I heard about a certain serial killer who used to kill criminals by provoking heart attacks, God knows how... But that was barely one year ago, isn't it? I was in France at the moment, and we didn't talk about that very much there. It was probably too far and too unrealistic for french people to fathom... We simply didn't feel concerned, I suppose. You know, most of people simply don't care about what happens on the other side of the planet, as far as it doesn't happen to them. Humans are selfish, after all... Anyway. But what's the point with Mello's death?'' She reported her attention on the detective who was busy dividing his figurines into several lines thoughtfully.

''Mello was killed by Kira. Or at least, that's what we all thought. And his death showed me a weakness in Kira's plans which allowed me to catch him eventually.''

''I see...'' Elena said absently, her eyes lost in the ranks of humanoïd toys in front of her. ''So he sacrificed himself for you...'' All of a sudden, L blinked at her. If his dark orbs were not that empty, she would have sworn she had seen a gleam of unexpected interest— and perhaps a little hint of shock?— in it. ''...to win.'' She finished her sentence hesitantly as she became aware of the odd black endless gaze setting upon her.

 _What's wrong with that boy? His brother, friend— or whatever this crazy killer might be to him— risks his life for him, and that capricious detective finds nothing more to say than 'his death had indeed proved itself quite useful'! Oh God!_

''What?'' Cabestan finally asked cooly as she was trying to decifer the thoughts hiding in L's fixed black pupils. The detective seemed to regain his senses as he looked down again, focusing on the yellow-haired figure all dressed in black leather.

''Nothing,'' he muttered. ''I think Mello just acted this way in order to beat me and be the first one. But I never thought about that option before...''

''Oh my!'' She smacked her own forehead lightly in a gesture of pure exasperation. ''And he calls himself the world's greatest detective...'' She sighed.

The young man didn't bother to answer that provocation and kept playing with his little statuettes. Suddenly, Elena held her breath as something strucked her. She placed her hand back at her chin in what seemed to be her usual mannerism while thinking.

''But, wait. Did you just tell me you both were willing to become L's successor? Does that mean...there was a first L? Or maybe several ones? Is it some kind of a status which is passed from generation to generation, or something like that?'' She glanced back at the detective, her brain boiling with anticipation.

''Not quite,'' the present L answered simply. ''To be precise, we are all raised to become the new L in one special orphanage provided for the purpose. When L...disappeared, Mello withdrew and left me to take his place. If he didn't, I don't know who would be in front of you right now. Perhaps him, or no one.''

''Fine,'' Professor Cabestan stated, frowning. ''So once again, that Mello sacrificed his own will for yours to be fulfilled. I suppose he didn't really have a choice though; it was whether working with you, his eternal rival, or leave. Working with you was obviously out of the question, which I totally understand...'' She glared at the childish man with an air of annoyance ''...So he left. Yes, I guess that makes sense.'' The young woman shrugged.

''Indeed.''

''Which leads me to think that if he did leave, it was probably in order to beat you in his own way. Probably a non-so-legal way, and he might have thought you wouldn't accept his methods...'' Elena kept going, without noticing the blank yet interested look she was given, ''...which is quite ironic since you don't seem to be really aware of the applicable laws neither !'' She laughed mirthlessly, remembering how this oblivious detective had brought her here. ''Anyway, I bet he wanted to beat you at something...a case probably ? The Kira case, I am sure, for I know Mello merely died because of that, and meanwhile you did catch Kira. So I suppose you did take the first L's— or the former L's— place in that context.'' She pressed her hand to her chin, suddenly hesitant.

''And where does that reasoning lead you, Miss Cabestan?'' L interrupted her emotionlessly, still staring at the professor, his head tilted to the side in genuine curiosity.

''Well, if I am right, then it means the former L was killed...by Kira,'' she said quietly.

''Yes, he was,'' the white-haired boy nodded.

''So you took his place...'' Elena looked down at him. ''And you destroyed the one who did that to him.''

''Exactly,'' L caught one of the figurines in his icy hands.

''Mello and you could have worked together, but he was too proud to work with his rival. He wanted to work alone and inflict you the first and worst defeat you have ever known.''

''Yes.''

''But you kept a cool head, while he left himself be drawn by his fury and desire to be the first one...''

''Yes,'' a quick and prompt respond came up once again.

''He risked everything to win, while you stayed out of harm's way,'' Elena added, her voice was harsh and cold, the warm glow usually inhabiting her hazel eyes was replaced by nothing but despise.

L could easily understand why such a fair woman was offended by his cowardliness and lack of empathy towards the man who did everything to win and _almost_ died, while he did nothing and won without any difficulty.

''Yes.'' He reached up and started twirling his hair.

''And now that he's back, he wants to change that once and for all. He wants you to get out of your gilded cage and take all the risks while he will be waiting for you to make a mistake. An unforgivable mistake which will allow him to reach to you and see you fall as he'll finally get the victory.''

''Yes.''

''And for that, he's launched on the only path which would appear unfamiliar— no, scary— to you: the path of emotions.''

''...Yes.''

Elena Cabestan looked above her shoulder. She spotted a chair near behind her which she pulled towards her in a fast move. She fell on the welcomed seat with all her weight.

''Very well,'' she sighed again with obvious weariness. ''Now I think I got the whole story...''

The strange little man said nothing for he was busy gathering all the small statuettes all together in a very absorbed silence. He supposed he should better let the professor think about all the informations she just learnt and wait for her to take her own decision without interfering. However, if that woman decided to turn her back on him, maybe he would have to change his tactics and try a more...convincing way.

Near was snatched away from his thoughts as a new tired sigh made itself heard above him.

''I'm sorry, L, but...'' She shook her head in disbelief. ''This is hardly appropriate.''

This unexpected statement caused the young detective to look up at the woman sitting in front of him.

''Why?'' He simply asked.

''I am afraid this case is much more than a murder case.'' Elena slowly placed her elbows on her knees. ''You're asking me to get involved into others' business. _Your_ business...and Mello's.'' She rested her chin in her hands. ''I'm sure you're quite aware this is not about solving a case.'' She looked down at him severely.

For one second, light-brown eyes met dark endless pupils, then the world's greatest detective looked at the floor once again.

''Yes, I am. That is precisely why I am asking your help on this case, Miss Cabestan.'' He placed both of his hands on the head of the two figures he was playing with. ''I know this case is personal, perhaps a little bit _too much_. But that is why I absolutely need to close _that_ special case.'' He removed his hands from the toys, showing a small figure looking very much like himself and another one quite akin to some well-known stubborn childish blonde boy.

''Do you understand, Miss Cabestan?''

Professor Cabestan stared at the white-haired man for a while, unable to find any word to say.

 _This case is not like any other case._

 _That Mello seems just as dangerous as he is determined to beat L. Though, he must have some weaknesses. And I'm quite sure his obsession for that annoying white-dressed kid could have something to do with that. I could always use that against him to trap him in his own game._

 _Anyway, something tells me that helping that damned detective could benefits me in some way..._

 _I can't see how, but at least I need to try._

 _No, more than that. I **want** to try._

Strangely, L broke the deafening silence.

''I can assure you that you will be dearly paid for your contribution to this investigation. All the expenses caused by your temporary stay here in New York shall be my responsibility. Speaking of which, you shall know that I've already prepared a flat for you in that building, the flight from Philadelphia to New York is of course totally at my charges and—''

'Wait, what?!'' Elena rose from her seat abruptly. ''A-Are you telling me we're in New York already?!''

''Yes, you are currently situated in the SPM building in Manhattan, Miss Cabestan,'' the detective answered neutrally.

''B-But...I thought I've only been out for a few hours and...'' She widened her eyes in confusion. ''How did you manage to get some places in a plane so easily?!''

''I thought you had already understood that, Miss Cabestan,'' L grinned imperceptibly, a so discrete smile the young woman was wondering if she hadn't dreamt it. ''I have many connections all around the world.''

The professor sat back on her chair, as if relieved to get an explanation, which was not very convincing though. But she decided not to elaborate the matter. ''I see.''

Slowly, Near raised his head and reached up to whirl a white lock around his finger.

''Miss Cabestan.''

''Yes?''

He looked down at the two statuettes which were now joined by a third one more likely representing a woman.

''Do you accept to work with me on this case?'' L finally asked her, as straightforward as ever.

Elena frowned, trying to figure out any suitable answer.

 _Fine. You've won, L. You somehow managed to tickle my curiosity. I don't know how this is going to end, but..._

 _I'll help you find Mello._

She looked at the weird silhouette below her, her warm eyes filled with resolution.

''I accept, _L_.''

The white man suddenly stopped twirling his hair and stared at the older woman before him.

''Thank you, Miss Cabestan.''

Elena nodded and watched the detective as he slowly stood up and lead towards the computers. He let himself fall into a wheeled chair nonchalantly.

''I'll call Lidner, she'll show you your apartment.'' He stretched a hand and held grasp of a microphone. ''Lidner? You can come back, I want you to take Miss Cabestan to her chambers.'' He let go of the microphone and spinned the chair to face his new co-worker. He resumed wrapping his hair around his slender fingers. He had one leg bent against him with his knee pressed to his chest and his foot rested on the seat.

 _Of course, that odd kid can't sit normally. I don't even know why I still feel surprised!_ Elena thought to herself.

She heard light footsteps and the door slid open. The young woman raised from her own chair and turned around. The blonde woman walked towards her.

''I'm here,'' Hal Lidner said, then her gaze set upon the young woman, ''I'll lead you to your room, Miss Cabestan. Now let's go, shall we?'' She smiled genuinely.

 _God, why is that woman always smiling at me for no reason?_

Elena smiled back and nodded.

 _...And why do I always feel like smiling back at her?!_

She followed the blonde towards the door until a calm voice stopped her.

''Please come back as soon as you'll be settled properly in your new apartment, Miss Cabestan,'' L ordered.

''I will, L.'' Cabestan answered without looking back at the odd crouched figure in the chair.

* * *

The blonde woman inserted a black electronic card into the door lock, a green light flashed and she pushed the handle very slowly and carefully as if it might break at any time.

''After you,'' Lidner gestured towards the great hall of the apartment as she moved aside to let the professor enter.

Elena gave her a quizzical look and nodded as she finally followed the direction pointed by the older woman's hand. The french professor crossed the large hall and hardly restrained a gasp.

Everything in that flat was overflowing with elegance, refinement and wealth. Great bay windows from which spread a remarkable landscape of skycrapers shining and blinking in the night, a metre-long dark wooden desk, a huge flat-screen TV, a large kingsize bed covered with white and golden sheets, some silky radiant white sofa and armchair, a bar standing in front of a comfy kitchen area, an immense bathroom including a glowing blank bathtub with gold stands, a wide italian shower made of dark glossy tiles and two black sinks in front of an endless mirror. All in black, white and gold.

 _A palace fits for a queen._

Elena Cabestan, as she was staring at her luxurious and glistening surroundings couldn't help herself but wonder.

 _Who the hell is that detective?!_

Though she was interrupted by a light sound behind her, she turned around to see Lidner clearing her throat awkwardly.

''L said you can make yourself at home,'' she said whilst putting a little golden case on the dark desk. ''Here is your cards which will allow you the access to your flat. There are only two of them, and Ne—'' The blonde stopped abruptly, widening her eyes before sputtering. ''Uh, L...he asks you not to bring _anyone_ in here.''

The law professor arched her eyebrows in curiosity.

 _So L thinks I'm so unprofessional I would be capable of taking my conquests in that very private building to have some fun with them, right before his eyes. He really thinks I am that...unleashed?_

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. _He definitely needs to stop underestimating me..._

At her greatest surprise, Hal Lidner added quietly, her icy blue eyes locking into Elena's.

''Anyone from _outside_ of that building, that is,'' she grinned at her almost imperceptibly.

The golden-haired woman couldn't surpress the smirk which raised on her red scarlet lips. ''Of course,'' Cabestan agreed, her light brown eyes fixed on Lidner's slender silhouette, ''I understand.''

Hal smiled back at the professor and nodded slightly. ''Very well, then I will take my leave,'' she turned around and lead towards the black door. ''I suggest you set up quickly and get back to the headquarters as soon as possible.''

''I will.''

Suddenly, the blonde stopped at the doorstep, ''Oh, by the way...'' She glanced above her shoulder at the other woman, ''I own the flat right in front of yours, just in case...if you need me.''

Elena crossed her arms on her chest as her features showed nothing but true satisfaction and perhaps a little bit of provocation.

''If I need anything, I will call for you,'' she lifted her chin defiantly. ''Thank you, Lidner.''

Hal simply shrugged, ''Very well.'' She opened the door and closed it behind her.

Finally, the french woman walked to the bed and let herself fall on the soft and mellow covers.

 _Ah, speaking of mellow..._ She sighed deeply.

 _It makes me think about that murderer, Mello._

 _What is it L want from that mad man ? Why is he so special to him?_

 _I wonder..._

She groaned, placing both her hands on her face in irritation.

 _What am I doing, involving myself in that crazy complicated and oh so personal case ?_

 _What am I doing...?_

* * *

Elena Cabestan exited the elevator in a hurry and crossed the corridor to reach some huge thick sliding doors. She placed her index finger on the small fingerprint reader standing at the right of the entrance and lifted her head as the doors opened in a soft noise. Apparently, L had managed to record her fingerprints into all the control devices of the building thanks to her passport just so she could wander freely into her new _'home'_.

She entered the work room in firm steps. ''Here I am, L,'' she called as she spotted a white kneeled figure in the middle of the room.

''Very well,'' L said as he waved what looked like a tarot card in front of him. ''Then we will get started.''

The french woman merely nodded as she came closer to the detective. She was now standing before him and waiting for the young man to begin.

Near slowly turned his head and looked above his shoulder, ''Please take a seat, Miss Cabestan,'' he offered as he lifted his chin towards the chairs placed in front of all the computer screens. Elena obeyed without a word and sat in front of a computer. At her right was a dark-haired young man typing on a keyboard in silence, whereas at her left stood an older man with short blonde hair who was busy talking quietly on the phone.

''First, I would like to introduce you to the other members of the SPM, formerly kown as the SPK— Special Provision for Kira— when it was first created by the President of the United States. But now since there is no more Kira, I myself decided to rename it—''

''Special Provision for Mello,'' Cabestan interrupted him without delay.

L looked up at the professor for a while before he looked down again and posed a card on what looked like a new-built card castle.

''Yes.'' He simply said. ''So, Miss Cabestan, please meet the Commandant Rester,'' the white-haired boy gestured towards the older man on the phone who turned to her and bowed his head slightly. She answered with a very controlled smile. ''And this is Gevanni,'' a skinny arm covered with a crumpled white shirt pointed at the black-haired man hypnotized by his computer screen on her right. Gevanni looked up at her and nodded politely. She did the same before she glanced back at the crouched detective behind her.

''And I bet you already know my only female member, Lidner.'' L stated neutrally without even bothering to look at his interlocutor.

''Yes, I do...'' Elena agreed hesitantly. She didn't know why but she felt like that question, which sounded more like an affirmation, had been meant to trap her in a certain manner, even though L had no reason to trap her on that matter. No, that didn't make any sense!

 _He is simply stating the obvious, that is all. I have nothing to hide anyway... Well at least, not yet._

 _Wait...what?!_

''Rester?'' The detective's calm voice called out, causing the older SPM member to startle. Commandant Rester hung up the phone and turned towards his boss.

''Yes, L?''

''Please show Miss Cabestan the pictures of the murder scenes,'' the young man ordered simply. He didn't bother to look up at his employee to check if he was going to comply, for he seemed to have no doubt about that, so he kept adding cards to his little construction instead.

''Of course,'' the blonde man answered. He leant over one of the computers keyboards and clicked on several buttons before three pictures appeared on three of the largest screens hung on the black wall.

''Please take a look at those pictures Gevanni took on the crime scenes, Miss Cabestan,'' L asked the professor while putting another card on the top of his paper castle.

Elena swallowed and raised her head to look at the strangely colorful pictures.

 _Those crime scenes reflect a very bright and joyful atmosphere... There are only warm and attractive colours in it. Why ?_

The law professor rested her left hand on her chin, lost in thought.

''Let's see...'' She thought out loud as she stood up to examine the pictures more closely. ''On the first picture, we have a poor messy and dirty apartment studio. I don't know a lot about the different New York districts, but judging by the poverty of that place, I would say it's probably situated in Harlem, or perhaps in the South Bronx...''

Gevanni let out a gasp of surprise, while L stayed silent, his gaze still focused on his house of cards as if this was the only thing worthy of his attention.

''The victim is lying in the middle of the room, he looks like...what? A seven or eight year old boy? Something like that. According to the wounds on his torso, I suppose he was stabbed to death,'' Elena pointed the screen with her red nails. ''Hm... He is holding a doll to his heart. I guess that doll is yours, L?'' The young woman turned towards the white silhouette still playing with cards.

''Yes,'' he answered emotionlessly.

The french professor turned back towards the crime scenes pictures, sighing. ''I see. That killer, whoever he is, is certainly a psychopath.''

Suddenly, the card castle fell apart. Everyone looked at the detective, waiting for an explanation. He never failed to build any of his constructions before. _Ever_.

''Mello is not a psychopath.'' L said icily.

''L, do you even know the scientific definition of 'psychopath'?'' Cabestan leant against the desk behind her, frowning. L looked up at her, speechless. _He obviously don't_ , she thought. ''Well, a psychopath is someone suffering from behavioural or/and emotional disorders and acts on impulse in order to destroy other people. So now, tell me how your dear _friend_ doesn't match that description?'' She placed her hands on her hips impatiently.

The white-haired boy gazed at the criminologist in front of him for a few seconds before looking down at his crushed castle. ''I knew I made the right choice by choosing you, Miss Cabestan. Please continue.''

Rester and Gevanni shared a confused look before they glanced at their young boss, jaw-dropped. For the first time in forever, L didn't deny his wrongs, he even accepted that someone could outsmart him in a matter.

''Why, thank you!'' Cabestan turned around abruptly, struggling to hide her annoyance. ''In the second picture, we can see what looks like a normal bedroom in a common house. Not wealthy, but not poor either. Probably in Brooklyn or something like that... The victim is a young girl, probably nine or ten years old, I couldn't say. Stabbed with a knife as well. Same age range, same operating mode but different gender...'' She tapped her fingernails on the desk absently. ''She is holding a little...wait, what is that? A robot toy?''

''Yes, it is,'' the detective's empty voice answered.

''Well, that's strange...'' Cabestan muttered. ''The first victim, a boy, is holding a doll whereas the second one, a girl, is holding a robot. If we refer to the gender theory, whose I'm not a fan of I must add, but...according to the usual standards, it would be more logical for a boy to play with a robot and a girl with a doll, but... I think that's not the point.''

''What makes you think that, Miss Cabestan?'' L asked her suddenly.

''Because...'' The professor sat on the wheeled chair and spinned it to face the weird blank figure. ''Those are all your toys, right?'' Near nodded. ''So, I think the gender is not the matter since they all belong to you, anyway. And you are a boy, aren't you?'' She arched an eyebrow at him.

The young male slowly raised his white head. His black orbs stared right into Elena's hazel eyes. But surprisingly, he was not the one who answered her rather troubling question this time.

''Miss Cabestan, uh...'' Rester cleared his throat quietly. ''I think this is not, uh—''

''What?'' The law professor cut him off angrily as she turned towards him, quirking an eyebrow in disbelief. ''Don't you think your little protégé can answer for himselft, Rester? Oh, please! This is the world's greatest detective we're talking about ! I am pretty sure he has already figured out what gender he is, I wouldn't worry about that if I were you!'' She chuckled as she reported her attention on the kneeled boy below her.

Yet a light unsettled laugh made itself heard at the other side of the room. Elena frowned and looked in the direction where the troubling noise came from and at her greatest surprise, her gaze met clear blue eyes. Hal Lidner was sitting on a computer desk at the dark edge of the headquarters, and she had remained silent during all that conversation. Cabestan shook her head, slightly amused.

 _God, that woman—_

''Yes, I am.'' L finally stated as he started to build the foundations of a new house of cards.

''Well, that was about a damn time!'' The french young woman exclaimed. ''So...what was I saying? Ah, yes! So, we must remember that no matter what gender the victims belong to, the message is directed to you and you only, L. You are a boy, and those toys are yours. I think the idea of switching genders is just meant to confuse us.''

''I agree,'' the detective raised his hand to twirl a white lock of hair.

''I think we should better focus on the victims' age. He killed two children, one between seven and eight and the other between eight and nine— Wait. Do you have the victims' precise age?'' Elena looked up at Rester, supposing the older man would be the one charged of all the case's formalities.

''Yes.'' Commandant Rester reached out to a sheaf of paper and read. ''The first victim was seven and the second one was nine.''

''Okay. And how old was the third one, the one I didn't examine yet?''

''The third victim was an eleven year old boy.''

''Oh dear.'' Elena sighed as she leant against the chair back. ''That's what I thought.''

''What do you think, Miss Cabestan?'' L interrupted her in a neutral tone.

''I think the murderer—'' She stopped as she looked down at the new-born house of cards at her feet. ''Mello kills children in ascending order of age. He started with a seven year old boy, then a nine year old girl, and finally an eleven year old boy. He chooses only odd numbers. But now the question is...why? And when will he stop?''

A tense silence took over the work room, everyone thinking about what that conclusion implied.

Near was whirling his hair around his thin fingers, his gaze lost into the card he had in his slender hand.

 _What are you doing? Why are you doing this, Mello? What...what do you want? What do you want from me?_

His thoughts were ripped off of him as a loud electronic ring resounded in the whole dark room. Cabestan, Lidner, Gevanni and Rester turned towards the world's greatest detective in the same movement, waiting for him to say or do something.

''Rester, please.'' He called, his voice deeper than usual.

Elena tempted an inquiring gaze towards Lidner. _What's wrong with him?_ Her brown eyes seemed to ask. She frowned. Hal looked just as worried as she was.

Something was going to happen. The tension was palpable, no one dared to perform the slightest gesture, except from the blonde older man who reached out to a microphone and handed it over to L. Rester pressed a grey knob and suddenly, the screens all went blank. In the middle was a black thick elegant letter.

 ** _M_**

A dark husky voice filled the deadly silent headquarters.

'' _Near_... It's been a long time.''

L placed a headset on his white hair, looking down almost in defeat at his card castle which had been destroyed once again. He whispered in the microphone right before his pale lips, his voice unexpectedly hoarse.

'' _Mello_...''


	3. Feel

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 3: Feel**

A dark chuckle escaped from the loudspeakers.

''Careful, _L_ ,'' he spat this letter as if it was poison in his mouth. ''Your facade of ice is starting to break down...''

Despite the low threatening voice which was sounding into his ears, the world's greatest detective stayed still, his right hand holding fiercely a black tarot card as if his life depended on it.

''What does Mello want?'' He asked dryly.

Mello laughed sarcastically, ''What do _you_ think I want, Near?''

Elena Cabestan looked down at L, her brown eyes sparkling with interest.

 _Yes, what do_ _ **you**_ _think, L?_

The young man seemed frozen in place, staring at that strange card in deathly silence.

''I don't know,'' he finally answered, frowning slightly. ''I was hoping Mello would tell me.''

''Oh! Come on, Near!'' The other man growled. ''This is not that complicated! I thought you were the best in everything, uh? I'm sure you can figure this out, _L..._ Call me when you know.''

The deep hoarse voice faded away, the beautiful _**M**_ vanished, and the screens went all black. Mello had ended the communication.

All the SPM members stared at the white-haired boy in tense silence. L placed the tarot card on the floor in front of him.

''I will figure this out,'' he murmured as if for himself. ''I will, if it's the last thing I do.'' He pressed the palm of his hand on the card.

''That I can promise you, Mello.''

The criminologist arched a curious eyebrow, she stood up carefully and walked towards the kneeled silhouette very slowly, as if she could scare him and cause him to fly away like a fragile little bird. She sat on the floor right before him, trying to meet his dark orbs which were hidden behind his white locks as his head was bent down.

''L...'' She began quietly, ''What do _you_ think he wants?'' She asked eventually. Then, the detective raised his head, his black eyes finally meeting Elena's hazel ones.

''He wants to destroy me,'' he said simply as he withdrew his hand from the tarot card. Elena lowered her gaze to look at the small card lying on the floor between them. As soon as her eyes set on it, she held her breath unwillingly.

 _The Hangman._

 _Card number 12th, the one just before number 13th... Death._

She shook her head as an amused smile gradually appeared on her red lips. She grabbed the card and raised from her spot on the ground. She turned her back at L as she spun the card in her hands.

''I must say I am quite disappointed, _L._ '' She sighed. ''I am afraid to tell you that you are awfully wrong.''

''What?'' She heard a quiet whisper behind her. All the other members of the headquarters were simply watching the woman who dared to contradict the world's greatest detective in pure disbelief. Cabestan turned around to face the white-dressed man once again.

''Mello doesn't want to destroy you,'' Elena stated in a firm voice. ''Despite all the horrible things he did, despite all the lives he took, despite all the mess he created _for_ you... He doesn't want to destroy you,'' she kept going, placing a thin hand on her chin. ''And do you know why, L?'' She looked down at him.

Near glanced at the french professor for a while before he shook his head just enough for her to understand he wanted her to explain her thoughts. So she did.

''Because he wants to defeat you, but he also wants you to be fully aware of your own downfall. Which means...'' She spread her thin fingers and let the card fall back at the detective's feet. ''...He cannot destroy you. Because if he did, you wouldn't be able to fight him back. And the thing he wants the most is a battle of wits from which he will emerge victorious. But he doesn't want to steal the victory from you, he wants to _win_ it fairly. He wants to be the _true_ first one.''

''So you think he wants to beat me fairly.'' L tilted his head to the side, as if that concept was absolutely absurd to him. ''Is that what you think, Miss Cabestan?'' He reached up to twirl a white lock.

''Well, assuming that killing people is fair, then yes,'' she sneered sternly. ''We could say that.''

''And may I ask what makes you think that, Miss Cabestan?'' The young boy rested his other hand on his knee.

''Well, this is quite obvious actually...'' She shrugged. ''He wants you to find out his motives, but he doesn't want to tell you himself. So he simply didn't answer your question. I first thought it was out of cowardliness but...no, it definitely isn't. If he truly wanted to destroy you, he would have said something only in order to hurt you. For instance, he could have said 'I want to kill you' or 'I want to destroy you' or 'I want to make you suffer' or whatever. There were plenty ways of hurting you, but he said nothing of that. Even if it wasn't true, he could have told you anything he wanted, whether you believed it or not!''

''But he didn't,'' the strange detective concluded in a neutral voice.

''Indeed, he didn't.'' Elena nodded in agreement. ''Because he doesn't want to hurt you, he doesn't want to destroy you either. He wants to _test_ you, _L_.''

To everyone's surprise, the crouched figure looked up at the professor and smirked. ''I admit I have underestimated you, Elena Cabestan. But I can assure you I won't make that mistake again.''

Lidner, Gevanni and Rester were all staring at their boss wide-eyed, while the criminologist just glared at him and sputtered. ''W-What?'' And as realization strucked her, she threw up her hands in disillusion. ''Oh, I see. You were testing me.''

''Yes, I was.'' L confirmed. ''And I must say you passed the test with flying colors.'' The white man took the card at his feet and started building another house of cards. ''Congratulations, Miss Cabestan.''

All of a sudden, Hal Lidner rose from her seat and stepped towards the small group at the other edge of the work room. She stopped right in front of the detective, standing at Cabestan's side as if she was her official guardian.

''What's the meaning of this, Near?'' She asked, her voice filled with concealed irritation. ''Will you explain yourself eventually?''

''Relax, Lidner,'' the white-haired boy answered, his voice as calm as ever. ''There is absolutely no need to get angry.'' He placed another card on his new construction. ''I just wanted to see if our criminologist was going to blindly agree with my theory. If she didn't beg to differ, that would mean she wasn't equal to the task since every person with a minimum knowledge of psychology would have understood Mello doesn't want to destroy me.'' He added another card thoughtfully. ''Nonetheless, if I undestood he wanted to test me, I couldn't say why nor how he wanted to achieve that, so I also wished to see to which extend Miss Cabestan's explanations could enlighten me. And indeed, her reasoning has proved itself very interesting and useful to me.''

''Well, thank you very much for recognizing my value,'' Elena snapped, folding her arms on her chest.

Near didn't bother to answer and focused on his new-built card castle instead. But he was interrupted by an angry voice once again.

''But I thought she was the world's greatest criminologist anyway?'' Hal questioned him, as cold as ice. ''So what was the point in testing her if she's already the best?''

''Indeed, she is,'' L replied emotionlessly. ''But that doesn't mean she is a match for Mello or myself. As a consequence, I had to check this out.''

''And...is she?'' The blonde woman bent her head to one side as she wondered hesitantly, waiting for the detective's verdict.

Suddenly, the younger man raised his head, his impenetrable gaze met Cabestan's. As he was about to place another card on the already high castle of paper, he interrupted himself to whirl a white strand around his index finger.

''Yes, she is.''

Hal turned her head towards the french woman and nodded. ''Well,'' she smiled slightly, ''Then I am glad.'' As she spoke, she turned away and got back to her computer at the other side of the headquarters.

The law professor watched the older woman as she walked towards the darkest part of the room and sat at her desk, far from the rest of the work team. She followed all of the blonde's movements in silence, her eyebrows furrowed.

 _Why the hell did she interfere? Was she actually...defending me?_

She shook her head, smiling at her own stupidity. _Of course not! This doesn't make any sense!_

''That's strange...'' A clear voice came from one of the computers behind her. She turned around to see Gevanni and Rester sharing puzzled looks.

''Yes, Gevanni.'' L spoke, causing the french woman to report her attention on the small white figure sitting on the floor below her. ''That is quite odd, indeed.'' He added a red card on top of his castle. ''Hal Lidner is not really known for her sympathy, even less for her kindness to say the least...'' The detective slowly glanced up at the now very embarrassed Elena. ''You must be very special, Miss Cabestan.'' He twirled another soft lock around his pale finger.

The young woman dared a shy look towards the cause of her trouble. The former C.I.A. agent was busy typing on her computer, black headphones set on her blonde hair. She probably didn't hear the conversation. Cabestan couldn't surpress a sigh of relief as she turned her head back towards Near.

''Uh...'' She tried to hide her discomfort with a light smile. ''Yeah, well, one could say that...'' She chuckled awkwardly. She quickly interrupted herself as an idea reached her mind. She smirked devilishly before stating, ''At least, _she_ isn't killing young children in order to catch my attention...''

 _An eye for an eye, L. Emotions are not your cup of tea, even a moron could see that. You are no match for me in that area and you know that. You won't win at that game, L._

She held back a triumphant laugh as the white boy froze when he was about to place another card on his personal construction, his black orbs locked into the professor's brown eyes. Even if his features were perfectly impassive, Elena started to understand the detective was not as insensitive as he seemed to be. And this must have affected him in some way, she knew it.

As if all the SPM members were somehow linked to the mastermind, they all stopped their activities to glare at the bold golden-haired woman, except from Lidner who still couldn't hear a thing. A deafening silence filled the headquarters as everyone was waiting for the young boy to fight back. But L didn't. He simply stared blankly at the aggressive professor for what seemed like hours.

''So,'' Professor Cabestan cleared her throat eventually, trying to ease the general tension who took over the entire room. ''Can I take a look at the third murder scene?''

Near's dark empty eyes quit staring at the criminologist to focus on the house of cards in front of him. ''Of course.'' He agreed naturally, as if nothing never happened. ''Rester, please show Miss Cabestan the last picture.''

The french woman headed towards her computer desk and waited for the macabre picture to appear on the wall screens, which wasn't long in coming. She rested her hands on the desk, leaning towards the giant screens above her, clenching her fists.

''So here is the third one,'' she said icily, ''an eleven year old boy lying in the middle of a rather clean bedroom. The surroundings are not luxuous, but it seems better than the previous ones though...'' She leant in closer, frowning. ''And obviously, he is holding a toy in his hands pressed to his chest. It looks like a little...fairy?!'' She asked more than she stated, her voice choked with disbelief. She glanced at the white figure behind her from above her shoulder.

''Well, let's pretend for a second the fact that the world's greatest detective owns a fairy puppet is totally normal...'' She let out a weary sigh.

 _Oh God! What am I doing here with that crazy retarded kid?_ She shook her head slightly.

''But a question still remains,'' Elena added elusively.

''What question?'' Gevanni asked out of curiosity, turning his head towards the criminologist.

''The question is...why using toys to get to L?'' The professor replied casually without taking her eyes off the strange murder scene. ''We know this is probably because Mello knows how much those toys mean to L, but...'' She reached up to place a hand on her chin, lost in thought. ''But I wonder... Why make the victim hold it to his chest? They are all pressing the toy on their chest, as if...''

She gaped, her hand falling at her side as she turned to face the SPM member at her right. ''Of course! They don't hold it to their chest!''

''Well I'm sorry, Cabestan, but they are.'' Gevanni interrupted her, gesturing towards the picture he took himself a few days before.

''No, no, no!'' The young woman shook her head frantically. ''Look more closely.'' She pointed the victim's chest with her polished nail. ''He is not holding it to his chest, he is holding it...to his heart.''

Gevanni followed the professor's finger and observed the lifeless corpse, frowning slightly. ''You're right.''

''This is really interesting, but I am afraid I fail to see how this detail is relevant, Miss Cabestan.'' L's emotionless voice echoed behind her.

Elena slowly spun around to look at the crouched detective on the ground. ''I don't know if this is some kind of a test, or whatever twisted game you might have thought of, but let me put an end to it right away.'' Her light brown eyes met Near's bottomless eyes. ''This is not a detail, this is a key information. In fact, I even think this might be the most important information we have for now.''

''Is it?'' The white-haired man tilted his head to the side, unbelieving.

''Yes, it is. Because that information is the only one you can't analyse. The only one you can't understand.'' Cabestan leant against the desk, crossing her arms on her chest, her gaze still locked into L's. ''Because _this_ is emotion, _L_.''

The kneeled figure remained still and silent, watching the law professor as she explained her reasoning. He had stopped building his house of cards, first because he had placed all the cards he had already, but mostly because he wasn't focusing on the tarot game anymore but on the woman who had finally given him an answer to one of his many untold questions.

 _Emotions..._

Near surpressed a shudder. There he was, forced to dive into unknown waters. He had no other choice. Mello wasn't giving him a choice. He had to let himself be submerged by it. Submerged by something he didn't know, something he never knew.

 _Emotions._

''And that is exactly why I am here, am I not?'' Elena threw at him. ''So I'm going to do my job, if you don't mind.'' She looked away from him and reported her attention on the crime scene.

''What does this mean according to you, Miss Cabestan?'' L asked eventually after a short while.

''Well, if I had to be perfectly precise, I would say the toys are first meant to provoke you. But I bet you already got that. That is the obvious part. But I am sure there is much more to that...'' The criminologist stopped, as if searching for the most suitable words to say. ''I think this is also meant to wake you up from your lethargy. To bring you back to reality. By doing this, Mello is calling for your attention. He is calling for you. He wants to confuse you. He doesn't want to make you think, he wants to make you _feel_.''

A deathly silence overwhelmed the headquarters for a few seconds, before another SPM member broke it.

''What do you mean, Miss Cabestan?'' Rester questioned the french woman as he gave her a quizzical glare.

''This is quite simple actually,'' the law professor said, her voice suddenly warmer. ''These toys are the only things Mello has taken from L, am I right?''

Near nodded almost imperceptibly.

''Okay, so let's say... The toys are the only link between L and Mello. The victims are left for L to find them, we can see them as a gift. Something he possessed and then offered to L by killing them and leaving them lifeless on the floor. And those children hold the toys to their chest, and more precisely, to their _heart_. So here we are.'' Elena stared alternatively at Rester and L, checking if the two men were indeed following her as she continued exposing her theory. ''Mello is using the victims, his work, and the toys, the link, to reach _your_ heart, _L_.''

As she finished, Professor Cabestan gazed down at the small detective, knowing exactly what her conclusions implied. Near stayed still as always, his head bending down, looking at the floor in front of him, his black eyes hidden by his short white locks.

''So Mello wants to reach my heart.'' He repeated quietly, his voice as empty as ever.

''Yes.'' The french criminologist nodded.

''But what for?'' Gevanni interfered in the conversation once more as he rotated his chair to face the three others.

Elena looked at him silently, then she walked towards the desk and fell on her seat, sighing. ''I am afraid I can't answer that question yet. For that, I need informations I don't have.''

''What information do you need exactly, Miss Cabestan?'' came L's neutral voice. Maybe it was an offer to give Elena the knowledge she lacked...or maybe not.

''What do I need to know...?'' Cabestan rested her hand on her chin, her gaze fixed on the floor. ''Well, first I need to know more about those toys. What do they mean to you? What do they mean to Mello? And how did he get them?'' She looked up and set her almond eyes on the white curled silhouette. ''I need to know more about him, about you...and I need to know more about your relationship.''

Finally, this caused the young detective to raise his head and lock his impenetrable gaze into Elena's.

''I understand.'' He reached up and started twirling a white strand of hair. ''However, I am afraid I can't enlighten you on that matter.''

''What? Why?'' The french professor rose from her chair abruptly. ''How am I supposed to help you solve this case if you're not willing to give me the informations you have?!''

''You will have these informations, Miss Cabestan, I assure you. But not now.''

''Fine, as you wish!'' She snarled, outstretching her arms in a gesture of surrender. ''So what do you want to do now?''

''For now, I think we should focus on the crime scenes to find any clue which could lead us to where Mello is hiding. Then we will focus on the victims.''

''If you say so, but we can't find any clue on the pictures and—''

''That is why I asked the police to leave the crime scenes in the same exact conditions as they found it.'' L cut her off as he kept whirling his hair around his thin fingers nonchalantly. ''You will drive to the first crime place tomorrow morning. Lidner and Gevanni will pick you up at your apartment door at 7:30 sharp. Don't be late.''

Elena Cabestan glared at the young detective, trying to prevent herself from wrapping her hands around this skinny white neck. That's the moment Hal Lidner chose to take off her headphones, leave her seat in the shadows of the darkest part of the room and join the rest of the work team with firm light steps.

''L, I just got a call from the N.Y. Police. Everything is ready,'' the blonde told her boss as she stopped right in front of the white-dressed man.

''Very well,'' the boy merely nodded. ''Then I suggest you all leave the headquarters and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day.''

The law professor frowned and looked down at her watch.

 _What?! Midnight already? That's impossible! Just how many hours did I spend unconscious today?!_

Gevanni stood up and lead towards the door. ''Goodnight,'' he said simply before he left the room without even waiting for an answer— which never came anyway.

Lidner glanced at the french woman. ''Come, Miss Cabestan. You must be exhausted.'' Her thin lips curved into an almost invisible grin. Elena looked back at the older woman. ''Well, I must admit being kidnapped can be far from relaxing!'' She chuckled. The platinium blonde didn't reply, instead her smile grew wider as she stepped towards the sliding doors. Cabestan followed her without a second thought.

Commandant Rester was about to leave as well when a cool voice interrupted him.

''No, not you Rester.'' The white-haired man ordered in his usual neutral voice. Rester froze and turned towards his boss. ''There are still a few things that are not set up yet.''

''Oh, of course.'' The agent complied immediately. The two women shared a sympathetic look which the poor man unfortunately couldn't see as they were leading towards the exit, turning their back on him.

 _This kid is the worst despot I've ever seen_ , Elena thought amusingly.

Just before the doors slid open, without bothering to turn back, Hal spoke. ''L, Rester...'' She called simply.

''Goodnight, ladies.'' L replied emotionlessly.

* * *

The two ladies— as L had called them— were standing silently in the elevator. Elena was staring at the tall blonde woman next to her.

 _There is something about this woman...something mysterious. I would like to know more about her, but she seems so tough and cold. I could try to get closer to her, but... No. She is too professional, she wouldn't allow it. Though, she seems to kinda like me, doesn't she? Since I've been brought here, she seems to be the only one caring about by health and well-being, so perhaps..._

 _No. This doesn't mean anything. But...wait. Why would I want to get closer to her anyway?_

 _No. I shouldn't be thinking about that, I shoudn't try to—_

''Miss Cabestan?'' Lidner asked, her soft voice filled with concern. ''Is there something the matter? You were staring at me as if I did something awfully wrong.''

The young woman looked up at her, brown eyes meeting icy blue. She blinked, trying to gather her composure and save face.

''Uh, no.'' She smiled, pushing all her disturbing thoughts in the back of her mind. ''I'm sorry. I guess I was just lost in thought.''

''Fine, then.'' Lidner stepped out of the elevator and waited for the criminologist to do the same as she stretched a slender arm to block the automatic doors, preventing them from closing and crushing Elena's body.

The latter glanced at the blonde woman in silence as she passed next to her and finally put the foot on the black carpet of the hall. Since Hal was still holding back the sliding doors with her arm, she stayed very close from the elevator exit, when the law professor stepped out of the metal cabin, she almost bumped into the older woman.

Cabestan lowered her gaze in confusion.

 _God, I didn't notice I was that close... What was I thinking?_

She swallowed hard as she put her second foot on the carpet and turned slightly to look at the blonde. Her eyes widened when she became aware of the fact the other woman had followed her move and pulled away from the elevator doors as well, so that now she was still standing next to her, her face barely inches away from hers.

She gasped. _Satan! Why is she so close?_

''Uh, I...'' She stuttered miserably as she looked down for the second time. ''I'm sorry.'' She carefully took a step backwards. When she finally dared to stare at the older woman, her heat skipped a beat. Lidner was not embarrassed, nor troubled, not even a little unsettled by this yet so awkward situation. Not in the least. She was openly smirking while Elena was staring at her speechless.

''No need to apologize,'' Hal said gently. ''There is no problem at all.'' She turned away and started to walk down the corridor, leading towards both of their apartments. Elena Cabestan scowled at her back as she followed her steps.

 _That bitch! She did it on purpose! She wanted to disturb me! She wanted to provoke me! But she doesn't know who she's messing with! She will pay for it._

When the women reached their respective apartment, they both inserted the electronic card in the lock and opened the door. As Lidner was about to enter her flat, Elena's voice stopped her.

''Goodnight, _Hal_.'' The blonde froze in the doorstep but she didn't turn away to face the french professor.

 _Now who's unsettled, Hal?_ Elena smirked, restraining a sneer, knowing perfectly that Lidner couldn't see that satisfied grin which was spread all over her face.

 _Now what the so professionnal woman is going to do?_ She stopped at her doorstep as well, waiting for the older woman's answer.

''Goodnight, Miss Cabestan,'' Hal replied quietly.

Then the said Miss Cabestan turned away, a triumphant smile tugging on her red scarlet lips.

''Oh, please,'' she muttered smoothly, waving a dismissal hand. ''Call me Elena.''

The law professor believed she saw the blonde startle at the suggestion, but she showed nothing else that could support that theory. Eventually, Hal Lidner turned to face the defiant french woman.

''Very well then.'' Her lips raised a provocant smile. ''Then sweet dreams, _Elena_...'' The older woman added in an enticing voice.

''Why, thank you.'' Elena's smirk widened in response. ''Sweet dreams, _Hal_...''

And the two women turned their back at each other and entered their apartment, shutting the door behind them in the same perfectly synchronized move as if they were some dancers from a classical ballet all repeating and mimicking the same dance steps at the exact same time. As they were finally alone on the other side of the door, they both smiled.

 _Fine, Hal. You wanna play that game? Then we'll play. And I'll be the winner._

 _Very well, Elena. You want to play the game of seduction? Go ahead. In the end, I will have you..._


	4. Extraordinary

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 4: Extraordinary**

''Can someone tell me why this insufferable albino kid who keeps repeating me this is _the_ case of his life— the one he ought to solve above all else— every _fucking_ hour is not even willing to move his ass out of that playroom of his?''

Hal Lidner laid her light blue eyes upon the cranky golden-haired woman sitting at the front cabin of the black car driven patiently by a very steady and deadpan Gevanni, whereas the former C.I.A. agent was sitting at the back of the car, after she had generously invited the younger woman to take her place and sit near the driver, considering the rather chilling mood she had found the usual so enticing Elena Cabestan in this morning. She reminded the hateful and menacing glow which had crossed the professor's hazel eyes back when she greeted the SPM agents at her flat door at 7:30.

 _She certainly is not a morning person._ Lidner sneered in her head.

She watched from her spot against the black leather seat, as the dark-haired man held a plastic cup she guessed was filled with coffee at the peeved young woman.

''He never goes out of the headquarters for any case,'' Gevanni stated calmly as he waited for his passenger to take the cup and drink her coffee, hoping it would perhaps ease her anger towards L and towards morning in general. ''He prefers to investigate from indoors. He is not a man of action, but rather a man of ideas. He can easily think and solve cases while staying locked up in a room, as long as he can request some agents' assistance to go and provide him the elements he needs from the outside world. We all have a role to play, Miss Cabestan.''

''Yeah, yeah. Though I still find it unbelievable— thank you,'' Cabestan mumbled as she grabbed the cup almost reluctantly. ''It's unbelievable that the world's greatest detective has solved a hundred cases or more without even bothering to put a feet outdoors. How could one figure out a whole murder case without even looking at the crime scene nor the victim corpse?''

''In fact, he did go outdoors...'' Gevanni said quietly, as if afraid of the memories that simple assertion could bring back to his mind and his co-worker's. ''Once.''

''Once?'' Elena turned to face him. ''He did? The Kira case, right? No! You must be kidding me!'' She scoffed. ''Ah, let me guess!'' She placed her hand on her chin in a mocking gesture. ''He went out to go and buy some toys, didn't he?''

The man sitting next to her merely shook his head in exasperation as he finally seemed to grow impatient of the criminologist's current unpleasant mood.

Hal stayed silent, simply staring at the so unpredictible woman sitting before her, trying to hold back a chuckle.

 _Elena, I wouldn't say those kind of things if I were you... Didn't you understand L have ears everywhere?_

 _ **[…]**_

A low discret crackle escaped from the car radio, as if the station couldn't capture the waves anymore, but Gevanni and Lidner knew better, even though they both didn't seem inclined to warn the provocating young woman.

And Elena Cabesta definitely wasn't willing to stop insulting the world's greatest detective as she was letting all the vicious words she had kept inside her flowing from her mouth without thinking.

''He must have missed his dolls, and robots, and fairies, and princesses, and puppets and avions, and cars and spaceships— and whatever— so much! Poor kid! Not that I am mocking him, of course not! I understand perfectly well! I mean, I would also be utterly mad if my boyfriend stole my Barbie dolls from me just in order to put them on some dead corpses as a decoration!''

The more the young woman let burst out her anger, the more Gevanni's driving became nervous and prompt. Lidner maintained a perfectly still and cold face, but inside she was dying of laughter.

 _A boyfriend? Oh dear. You just called Mello Near's... **boyfriend**?!_

 _Elena, you have no idea what you're talking about, but I can assure you something: L's revenge is going to be the worst cataclysm you have ever known and no one could ever warn you enough against it._

An awkward cough echoed electronically in the whole cabin, however the crazy woman didn't seem to notice.

''This is so sad, really! Such beautiful toys drenched in blood... No wonder he would go out of his playroom to buy new ones as soon as—''

 _ **[I can hear you, Miss Cabestan.]**_ A cool came voice from the loudspeakers.

Elena gaped as she slowly lowered her gaze on the dashboard.

''Oh God!'' She muttered.

 _ **[Not quite. I appreciate your devotion, Miss Cabestan.]**_ Near's plain voice filled the cabin. _**[But I would rather have you call me L.]**_

The french professor's jaw dropped in awe. Did that weird insensitive boy just make a joke? Or did he really think she was calling him God? Knowing his inflated ego, this would not be that surprising. Anyway, she should better dot the i's.

''Oh please! Don't flatter yourself,'' she jeered, rolling her eyes. ''So— since you're apparently able to talk to me wherever I am, would you tell me why you exposed your cadaveric white skin to the sun for the Kira case?''

 _ **[I had no other choice but to show myself to the mass murderer if I wanted to catch him in the end. I had a plan, of course, and it couldn't work out without me facing Kira directly.]**_

''I see.'' Elena nodded. ''So you did risk your life, after all... Your dear Mello didn't do all the job.''

 _ **[Indeed.]**_ There was a long pause, as if the detective was searching for the right words. ** _[But you must know if it was not for him, I would have been dead one year ago.]_**

''L...''

 _ **[Yes?]**_

''You said he helped you figure out Kira's plans. You said you could catch the serial killer thanks to him, and he nearly died because of that... But how did Mello really save your life?'' The law professor asked, holding her breath in expectation.

A deep silence overwhelmed the place. Cabestan felt her throat tightening. She knew the answer would bring nothing but chaos in all the SPM agents' mind, in hers, but most of all, in Near's.

 _ **[I never trusted him.]**_ The white-haired boy spoke quietly, his voice was low, as if every word, every syllable was digging holes into his soul. ** _[I was wrong. He had all figured it out._ He** _**was the best.]**_

Hal slowly raised her blonde head from her cup and gazed at the black radio from which the sound of the young man's voice came. Elena widened her eyes in shock. Gevanni looked down for a short while before focusing on the road again, pursing his lips. All the occupants of the car remained quiet, but all of them had understood very well what those few sentences really meant.

Professor Cabestan was the first one to regain her senses. She swallowed hardly. ''He didn't _nearly_ died, did he? He wanted _you_ to believe he died. He didn't really escape death. He faked his own death... Why?''

A high-pitched crackle made itself heard.

 _ **[…]**_

''L? Why did he do that?''

A new silence took over the cabin. Deafening, piercing, frightening silence.

 _ **[…]**_

''L?'' Elena repeated, her voice suddenly hoarse with concern. ''Why? Answer me, L! L?!''

A last small crackle and there was no sound to be heard anymore. Near never replied to the young woman. Cabestan leant against the leather seat, sighing.

 _L is not the best. L can't do anything on his own. He cannot win. He can't win against Mello. He doesn't want to win against him. He wants to let him win. But why?_

 _Why?_ She frowned slightly.

 _Why?_ She reached up to rub her temples, closing her eyes.

 _Why?!_ She opened her eyes.

 _Because..._

 _He_ _ **needs**_ _him_.

* * *

The three SPM agents finally arrived at the crime scene after a short while spent in a respectful silence. As the criminologist had guessed the day before, it was indeed a small apartment studio located in Harlem, one of the poorest district of New York City. The place was as appealing as a drug house, perhaps even worse. Despite the colorful walls painted in different shades of orange, yellow and blue, a glaucous and sordid atmosphere was emerging from that tiny wretched limbo. In place of the corpse was left a yellow line chalk on the floor— probably made by the N.Y. Police— indicating where the victim had been found. In the middle of the drawn shape stood a little doll. It was facing the entry, as if waiting for potential visitors to see it and take it with them.

Elena Cabestan looked around. There was no blood except from within the yellow lines where used to lay the poor seven year old boy. The room was an indescribable mess. One could say that if any of those various clothes, pens, sheets, shoes spread all around the floor belonged to somewhere, none of them was actually in its original place. And that damned doll, fixing whoever entered the room with these two black holes. Immobile, threatening, hypnotizing.

 _Okay, this is definitely creepy..._

''Elena,'' a soft voice came from behind her. She turned around quickly to face Hal Lidner. ''Yes?''

The blonde woman extended a hand holding a small black device towards her. It was an earpiece attached to what she supposed was a microphone which should be placed before the mouth in order to speak and hear at the same time.

''You have to use this.'' The older woman gestured to Cabestan's ear.

''Me?'' Elena asked, pointing a red fingernail at herself. ''You want _me_ to use this? Why would I do that?''

Lidner shook her head slightly, causing platinium strands to sway gracefully above her forehead. ''I don't want you to use this... L does. It will allow him to communicate with you, hear your comments at anytime and give you instructions directly.''

''No way.'' The french woman folded her arms on her chest. ''I don't like headsets. Besides, I don't want to hear him speaking into my ear.''

Hal stared at the younger woman, a hint of a smirk tugging on her thin lips. She leant forward to remove a golden lock from Elena's cheek. The french professor could do nothing but watch the blonde as she stood before her, her pale face only an inch away from her own, she slid the light strand of hair behind Cabestan's ear in a slow and almost tender gesture. Then Lidner reached up, she clipped the headset at the golden-haired woman's ear and stretched the mike device, placing it right in front of her mouth. The SPM agent bent her head to the side as she rested an icy hand on Elena's neck. She leant in closer...

''Indeed, I'd rather be the one who speaks into your ear, _Elena_...'' The blonde whispered into her ear, cold breath blowing mercilessly on her cheek.

Before the young woman could figure out an answer, Hal pulled away, offering her a radiant and provocative smile. Elena Cabestan restrained a growl and instead chose to show her most beautiful and convincing grin. Suddenly, a low voice interrupted this awkward exchange.

 _ **[Miss Cabestan?]**_

''Ah, L!'' Elena replied immediately. ''Are the earphones really necessary? Can't you just come here and work with us instead of staying locked up with your toys, commanding us from the other edge of the city?''

 _ **[No, I can't. Thus, this makes the earphones unavoidable. I'm afraid you will have to deal with it, Miss Cabestan. But if that can soothe you in any way, my agents managed quite well with this issue.]**_

Cabestan sighed. ''Fine, there's no way I can argue with you anyway. So tell me, what do you want us to do now?''

 _ **[I want you to rummage the studio from top to bottom, leave no stone unturned. Everything might be a clue, a hint leading us straight to him.]**_

''Very well.'' She turned towards her new co-workers. ''Lidner, Gevanni, search everywhere. Nothing shall be overlooked. Nothing.''

 _ **[Oh, and...Miss Cabestan?]**_

''What else?'' The criminologist asked, slightly annoyed, fighting against herself not to think about that damned stupid coffee advertising and the inevitable answer that should bring with it. _Nespresso._ She sighed again.

 _I really need to sleep better that night... My brain is a mess._

 _ **[I have a special mission for you.]**_ The void voice stated simply.

''Which is?'' Elena's brows furrowed in curiosity.

 ** _[I want you to search for_ special _hints. Not scientific nor legal evidence, for my team is sufficiently skilled on that matter. I need you to do your job, not theirs, which would be rather pointless, but I assume you already understood that when you accepted to work for me. So now is time to show me your abilities in your field of competence. I bet you already got my point, Miss Cabestan, I want you to search for every clue directly or indirectly related to...]_**

''Emotions.'' Cabestan finished without a second thought and nodded as if for herself as she finally realized the scope of her task.

 _ **[Precisely.]**_ L agreed blandly, but the professor was sure she deciphered a tiny ounce of satisfaction in that cool voice. ** _[Good luck, Miss Cabestan. Feel free to speak and share your thoughts, I'll be disposed to listen and answer all your questions if needed.]_**

* * *

Professor Cabestan was standing in the middle of the room, a thin hand resting on her chin as she seemed lost in the contemplation of the great mess in front of her.

 _Lidner is searching for any information in all the papers, books and belongings the victim ever possessed while Gevanni is looking for any physical evidence of Mello's presence in the murder scene. They don't understand how pointless their work is... It's almost pitiful._

Elena sighed deeply.

 _No, the clue is not where we think it is. It is much more complicated than that..._

Her gaze lowered on the small motionless doll at her feet. She slowly kneeled down and took the toy in her hands gently.

 _This doll. That is the answer, I know it. If only L could tell me..._ Eventually, she resigned herself. _I guess I have no choice..._

''L?'' She cleared her throat, waiting for the young boy to acknowledge her.

Unexpectedly, the answer came promptly, as if the detective had never stopped listening to her during all this time. _ **[Yes, Miss Cabestan?]**_

''Uh...'' The french woman pondered the suitable words to mouth such a request. ''Look, L, I know this is a very personal matter and I really don't like interfering in someone else's business, but—''

 _ **[You want to know how the doll ended up in that crime scene.]**_ L cut her off, already aware of the criminologist's interrogations.

''Yes.'' She released a breath she didn't know she was holding back. ''I know this is none of my business, but if you want my help, then you need to tell me. I can't work without all the tools at my disposition. You know, in the world of emotions— which is still unknown to you— past holds just as much importance as present and future do. I need to know this doll's story, L.''

 _ **[Very well.]**_ The emotionless voice gave up. _**[I suppose this is why I hired you in the first place after all... I'm going to tell you the story of that doll. Now I will ask you to listen very carefully, Miss Cabestan, for I will not repeat myself. Do you understand?]**_

''Yes.'' Cabestan reached up and pressed two of her polished fingers on the little device stucked in her ear, as if such a move could somehow allow her to focus on L's plain voice and listen more closely. ''You have all my attention, L.''

Finally, the cool and steady voice began as the world's greatest detective decided to share one of the most hidden and precious memory he kept in this secluded and mysterious mind of his.

Thus, Elena Cabestan was about to learn that this case hadn't started a few weeks ago with the children murders like everyone would thought, but fifteen years ago, on a cold and white day of winter, in England, when Mello and Near met for the first time...

* * *

 **Fifteen years ago: Wammy's House**

''Who's that boy?'' A blonde eager kid asked loudly as he pointed to a four year old child crouched on the floor in front of a giant white puzzle.

''This is Near,'' an old white-haired man replied softly. ''He just arrived a few hours ago. I hope you two will get along. You are both the most qualified pupils of this school.''

''B-But...'' Mello turned to face the leader of the orphanage, widening his blue eyes. ''But I thought _I_ was the most qualified?!''

''Indeed, you are.'' Roger nodded. ''But so is he. You both are, Mello. Now please go and meet him. I am sure you have a lot of things in common.''

''Things in common?'' The seven year old boy growled. ''With him? Ah! I don't think so! Roger, look at him! He's so...weird.'' Mello winced as he looked down at the kneeled figure who was still turning its back on them.

The old man sighed, shooking his head. ''You won't know that until you talk to him. Besides, you must learn to know each other. After all, it is very likely you will work together one day...''

''W-What?! But I—''

''Mello, that is enough!'' Roger's eyes narrowed. He gestured towards the new comer. ''Now go and talk to him.''

The blonde boy simply folded his arms on his tiny chest, pouting.

''This is L's request, Mello...''

Suddenly, all the concealed rage and frustration slipped from Mello's face. He looked up, blue eyes shining with a new hopeful glow. He gaped, and eventually he stepped towards the younger boy. He patiently circled around all the puzzle pieces spread across the floor and kneeled in front of the weird white-dressed kid.

''Hello, I'm Mello,'' he said, stretching a hand towards Near. The teachers always told them to greet new people politely by shaking hands so he figured it was probably the best thing to do with his possible new co-worker-to-be.

Very slowly, the white head raised and black endless eyes met deep blue ones. Then, the dark gaze lowered on the stretched hand. Even more slowly, a small white hand reached up and took hold of Mello's hand.

 _God, his hand is so cold..._ Mello shivered.

Near looked up at the blonde once again. ''It is nice to meet you, Mello. My name is Near,'' an empty voice answered quietly.

Mello's eyes locked into those two black orbs as he became aware of the fact he had completely forgot about the shaking part of the hands ritual. So instead he stayed still, staring back at Near's bottomless eyes, their hands still intertwined.

''Uh,'' Mello cleared his throat. ''Yeah, well...'' He looked away from those hypnotizing pupils, withdrawing his hand from Near's icy touch in the same move. That is when his gaze spotted something rather unusual. In his other hand, the little albino held what looked like a small puppet. He held it right to his chest.

 _No..._ Mello thought. _Right to his_ _ **heart**_ _._

''Why the hell do you play with dolls?!'' He spat.

''Why shouldn't I?'' Near answered straight away, tilting his head to the side almost innocently.

''Because...dolls are usually for girls!'' Mello scoffed as he let his weight drawn him backwards, so he could sit on the floor in front of the strange kid.

''Well, I am not a girl,'' the younger boy stated emotionlessly as he looked down at his blank puzzle.

''Yeah, I got that, thank you very much!'' The other kid sneered sarcastically.

''Then I don't see the point in saying dolls are for girls, since I am a boy and yet I have one.'' Near added a piece to his almost completed puzzle.

''Yes, but I said it was _usually_ for girls...and you don't look like the _usual_ boy.''

Near looked up as a small hand raised to twirl a white lock of hair. He stared at the older boy in silence for a while.

''What does Mello think I look like?'' He questioned, his dark pools still fixed on Mello's.

''I-I...I don't know!'' The blonde child stuttered, obviously taken aback. ''You look...different. You look young, innocent, pure, naive...''

''Does Mello think reality match with my looks?'' Near asked again, his voice as void as ever.

''No.'' Mello shook his head. ''No, it doesn't.'' He looked down, as if in defeat.

''Mello doesn't look like an ordinary boy either.''

The seven year old boy raised his head to meet Near's dark gaze still set upon him. ''What do I look like?''

''You look sweet, smooth, caring, feminine...'' The crouched silhouette then shrugged, looking down at the ground.

''And...'' Mello frowned, clenching his fists, trying his best to hide his anger. ''Does reality match my looks?''

Once again, the older boy managed to catch Near's dark gaze as he returned the same question he has been asked a few seconds ago.

''No, it doesn't.''

As if satisfied, Mello nodded, looking down at the puzzle, lost in thought. Though he was quickly jerked out of his thoughts as a little blonde head showed itself before his eyes. The doll. Mello looked up to see the hand holding the small doll firmly reaching out towards him. He shot a inquiring glance at the white-haired boy.

''Take it.'' Near said plainly.

''W-Why?'' Mello pulled back a bit, as if feeling unexpectedly attacked by the strange toy.

''To remember.''

The older kid stared at the kneeled figure in front of him hesitantly.

 _What does he expect from me?_

''Remember what?''

Eventually, Near raised his white head to look at the blonde. Mello swore he saw a discrete invisible smirk on the other child's pale lips.

''Remember that we are no usual boys.''

Mello opened his mouth to speak but shut it almost instantly. Instead, he reached out and took the little doll in his hands.

''Why are you doing this, Near?'' He asked quietly, glaring at the doll. ''You barely know me, you don't even know what I would do with your toy. So why?'' He let himself be lost in Near's black orbs once again.

''I gave you my doll so you can see the gender is not important.'' Near raised a thin finger to whril a strand of hair around it. ''You can play with it, it doesn't matter whether you are a boy or a girl. All that matters is that...you're you. You can look feminine, but you're not. I can look innocent, but I am not. You're not a usual boy. I am not. You're Mello. I am Near. And we are not like the others.'' Piercing black eyes locked in blue ones.

''We are different.''

Mello simply stared at the new comer in awe.

 _This child is definitely not like the others. He truly is different. He is... Yes, that's the word._

 _ **Extraordinary.**_

Then he stood up and held the doll to his heart as he lowered his gaze on the white-dressed kid before him.

''You are right, Near.'' He smiled almost imperceptibly. ''Gender doesn't matter. Looks don't matter. Visions are seldom all they seem, don't they?'' Near bent his head to one side in what seemed like genuine curiosity. Mello chuckled in response. ''We look like quite the opposite, you and I, and yet we are very much alike,'' he continued softly. ''We are different, and that's what makes us alike.''

This time, it was Near's turn to be speechless. So he remained quiet as Mello turned his back on him and exited the room.

 _Yes, Mello. You are right. Visions are seldom all they seem. We look like the opposite sides of the coin, yet we are on the same coin. Because we are both different. We are the same in our difference._

After that fateful day, he knew his life had now a new goal. He also knew Mello was a part of it. He never bothered to ask if the other boy had kept the gift he had given him on that cold, white day of winter, for he already knew. And during all the following years, before he went to sleep, Mello had held the doll to his heart.

To remember. Remember that gender and look didn't matter, because even if they were both men, even if one looked sweet and the other looked pure, all that mattered was that on the inside, they were indeed different. And they didn't care. Because in their difference, they were not alone anymore.

In their difference, they were together.

* * *

 _Remember. Gender doesn't matter. Looks don't matter. Visions are seldom all they seem. The opposite sides of the coin. We are different. That's what makes us alike._

 _They are not alone... They are together._

 _ **[...Miss Cabestan? Are you listening to me?]**_

Elena Cabestan was cut off in her thoughts by a neutral voice echoing in her earphone as she was violently brought back to reality.

''Oh, yes, yes.'' She shook her head. ''I'm sorry, I was lost in thought.''

 _ **[I supposed as much. Did that story help you in any sort?]**_

The law professor smiled widely. ''Oh, yes it did.''

In one same movement, Lidner and Gevanni turned towards their co-worker, curiosity and anticipation inhabiting their usually blank faces. A short silence followed her revelation on the other side of the microphone.

 _ **[What is your conclusion, Miss Cabestan?]**_ L asked eventually.

''L...'' She said smoothly, her red scarlet lips curved even more as a grin of satisfaction painted itself on her face.

''I know what Mello wants from you.''

* * *

 **AN: Hello everyone!**

 **I must warn you that chapter 5 will probably have to wait a little cause I'll be quite busy with work those following days. Hope you won't be mad at me... I'll try to update as soon as possible though.**

 **Anyway, here is chapter 4! So enjoy reading (I hope). And feel free to review or pm me to share your thoughts!**

 _ **C.**_


	5. Remember

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 5: Remember**

 _ **[Miss Cabestan, would you please get to the point?]**_ Near's blank voice echoed in the earphone.

Elena Cabestan smirked slightly, knowing that the infuriating detective couldn't see her.

 _You don't like it when someone has outsmarted you, now do you, L?_

''No need to be nasty, L.'' She teased him, her smirk growing only wider. ''I'm going to tell you, anyway. That's why you hired me, didn't you?''

A small crackle escaped from the electronic device, causing the law professor to wince at the sudden assault of her eardrums.

Another crackle. Lidner and Gevanni let out a small gasp. Cabestan shot a quizzical glance at the two SPM members who were now holding their personal earphone closer to their ear.

 _He has added them to the connection_ , she understood. _I don't know how he managed it, but he did. Ah! Of course! He probably just asked Rester to do it for him, obviously..._

Another crackle attacked the young woman's ears. This time, the three agents present in the murder scene winced in pain at the same time.

 _ **[Cabestan.]**_ L called her, his cool voice hiding his frustration very well. Nonetheless, Elena was perfectly aware of its existence.

''Elena.'' Hal groaned. ''Just tell him already before he succeeds in piercing our eardrums.''

 _ **[…]**_ As if to confirm the blonde's fears, another crackle made itself heard.

The criminologist cringed, gritting her teeth.

''Fine!'' She surrendered, sighing. ''No need to threaten me! You know, I was going to tell you before you started attempting to kill me with your fucking—''

 _ **[Miss Cabestan, listen to me. You are going to expose me your reasoning from beginning to end, and after that ,you will tell me what conclusion you had come up with. Did I make myself clear?]**_

''Yeah, yeah.'' The french professor rolled her eyes. ''As clear as the Caribbean waters.''

Lidner glared at her as a gleam of annoyance subtly passed through her bright eyes. Without exactly knowing why, Elena winked at her, a rather bold move to which the older woman answered with eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

 _ **[Very well. I'm listening.]**_

''Right.'' Cabestan took a deep breath before continuing. ''In fact, it is not as twisted as I first imagined. In some way, it's even quite logical when you think about it.'' She placed a thin hand under her chin as she looked down at the small doll lying on her other hand. ''First of all, Mello tells you that dolls are usually for girls. Obviously, like any child who had received a traditional education during the eighties, he is aware of the main arguments of the gender theory which tells boys play with robots while girls play with dolls. A boy has to learn how to fight and defend his family, while a girl has to learn how to become a good wife and mother...''

Lidner stared at the younger woman in silence, frowing slightly. _What are you trying to say, Elena ?_

Eventually, the criminologist scoffed, spinning the creepy toy between her fingers. ''Of course, we agree on the fact that this theory remains a theory and one could say it is based on nothing but bullshit, to which I agree completely. But that's not the point.''

Hal tilted her head to the side, wondering. _Yes... Then what is your point, Elena Cabestan?_

''What really strucked my attention is that Mello didn't believe in that theory either, which is quite rare for a young kid who had known nothing but those rules. Which leads me to say that he was indeed a genius, just as well as you were, L. And this day, you both met someone worthy of yourselves.''

 _ **[…]**_

A small crackle echoed on the other end of the line, as if to agree with the professor.

''Besides, he didn't bother to argue that there are some boys who actually play with dolls, but instead he told you that you were no usual boy. And you see, L, that's what is so interesting about that little story you've been kind enough to tell me. The hint was right here before your eyes from the very beginning.''

 ** _[And what that hint would be according to you, Miss Cabestan?]_** L asked emotionlessly, barely trying to hide his impatience.

''Mello didn't consider that you are no usual boy _because_ you play with dolls. On the contrary, he considered that you play with dolls _because_ you are no usual boy. That is where the hint lies. Gender does not matter to him.''

''Elena.'' The latter startled as she heard a strong voice filling both the room she was in and the earphone still set inside her ear. ''I'm afraid I'm not following you, and I bet Gevanni didn't get it either,'' Lidner said firmly as she took a few steps towards the french woman. She looked at Gevanni who nodded hesitantly and then back at the professor. ''So would you care explaining yourself to us, please?''

Elena simply stared at her in silence while playing with the little puppet in her hands. Hal crossed her arms on her chest impatiently and seeing she was not going to get an answer, she sighed. ''L? I know you can hear me. Could you please explain this to us?''

 _ **[…]**_

''L?'' She called, trying her best to maintain her calm and steady appareance as she glared at the younger woman in front of her with annoyance. ''L? Do you understand what Cabestan said? I know you did. So please, if you could just—''

 _ **[Yes, Lidner. Indeed, I understood Miss Cabestan's reasoning very well.]**_ L's blank voice echoed in their headset. _**[However, if you had listened to her right through the end of her theory, I bet you would have understood it as well.]**_ Lidner glanced at the law professor who was staring right back at her with glowing brown eyes and a wide smile of satisfaction plated on her red lips as if confirming L's statement. Hal looked down.

 _Well, maybe I got a little impatient..._

 _ **[Nonetheless, if you want to hear it from me, then I am going to explain it to you. Miss Cabestan, don't hesitate to correct me if I am wrong.]**_

''Yes.''

 _ **[Instead of disregarding me because I was playing with dolls whereas this is usually considered a game fit for girls, Mello merely asserted I was no usual boy. Even though I was playing like a girl, he never implied I was not a boy. And like Cabestan said, he didn't conclude I was not a normal boy because I played with dolls, but the other way around, which leads to think that my difference does not come from my gender. As a consequence, we can indeed say that gender does not matter to Mello.]**_

Hal Lidner frowned slightly, shaking her head in disbelief. _And yet, Elena was saying it was not that twisted... God, can't they see this is bloody twisted?_

 _ **[And I suppose we can relate that conclusion to the victims.]**_

''Indeed.'' Elena Cabestan nodded in agreement. ''Gender doesn't matter to Mello, that's why he killed equally girls and boys, and that also explains why the toys the victims were holding didn't match their gender, according to the gender theory at least. The message is clear: no matter who is killed, the only person Mello truly means to target is you, L.''

 _ **[Obviously.]**_ The detective said in an empty voice. _ **[But if I remember well, you did mention that you understood what Mello really wants, Miss Cabestan. So I'm listening.]**_

''Yes.'' Cabestan smiled slightly. ''That's perhaps the most simple thing to fathom. The answer is the doll. When you gave it to him, you said you wanted him to remember. Here is your answer, L. He wants you to _remember_.''

 _ **[I see.]**_

They were cut off in their conversation by an annoyed cough. The professor turned around to see Hal Lidner folding her arms on her chest in a significant gesture.

''I'm sorry to interfere in your genius exchange,'' Lidner sounded peeved as she tapped her fingers on her crossed arms, ''but I would like to understand as well. What is it L has to remember exactly?''

The french young woman gave her the most radiant smile she had ever seen, which caused the older woman to widen her eyes at the sudden warmth the criminologist was offering her. Elena slowly walked towards her, still grinning.

''Be patient, _Hal_ ,'' she replied smoothly, ''I am going to explain myself to you.''

The blonde arched an eyebrow in expectation. _Very well Elena, I'm waiting._ She thought for herself.

''It is quite simple. L offered Mello that doll on the day they first met, saying he gave it to him so he would remember. And now, Mello gave the toy back to him. Why? So he could remember as well.'' That explanation only brought her a deep frown from the blonde's perfect-shaped eyebrows. Elena raised a pacific hand at Lidner before she could even stand a chance to talk.

''Yes, I know what you're going to tell me. Remember what? Well, I would say remember everything that happens after that day. It is quite clear to me. He wants him to remember _everything_. That gender doesn't matter— as it is proven by the victims themselves— of course, but also that visions are seldom all they seem. He wants him to remember that they may look like opposites, while in fact they are very much alike. He wants him to remember that they are different. They are extraordinary. And most of all, that they are on the same side.''

''But...Mello is a murderer and Near is—'' Lidner interrupted herself as a thin finger waved frantically before her eyes as if to say 'no'.

''No, no, no.'' Cabestan closed her eyes while clicking her tongue disapprovingly. ''That is how you fall into the trap. Visions are seldom all they seem, Hal. That's exactly what Mello means to say by all this: he might look like the bad guy, but in fact he's just like L. Two extraordinary boys who are nothing like the others. They are together. Don't you understand, Hal? Looks don't matter. What matters is what's on the inside. And deep inside, they are alike. They are on the same side. Two geniuses against the whole world.''

A deep silence took over the room as well as the earphones were retransmitting the young detective obvious speechlessness. But this time, this silence was anything but awkward. It was the greatest expression of wonder, respect and hope.

Sitting on the ground in front of a great tower made of a thousand dice, L was motionless, staring at the floor absently, sinking into that soothing consensual silence. Commandant Rester allowed his brows to furrow as he saw a faint smile tugging at the boy's pale lips.

 _Incredible._ Near thought. _She understood. She understood something I couldn't even manage to fathom. She figured everything out. Yes, this woman is incredible._

 _ **[Miss Cabestan.]**_ He called suddenly, his voice as neutral as ever. _**[I must say you never cease to impress me.]**_

On the other end, Elena Cabestan smiled warmly. ''Thank you, L. I must say, coming from the world's greatest detective, this is quite the compliment! Be careful though, I could easily grow big-headed, you know?'' She chuckled.

''Oh dear.'' Lidner sneered, locking her gaze with the younger woman's. ''Please stop complimenting her, L, or she will soon become just as vain and narcissist as that crazy famous mass murderer as known as Kira.''

''Hey!'' Cabestan's eyes narrowed at her. ''Don't _ever_ compare me to Kira! That was mean, blondie!''

Hal took a menacing step towards the french professor, pointing an accusing finger at her. ''Don't _ever_ call me that again! You must know I am far much stronger than I look...''

Elena slowly stepped forward, stopping herself as their faces were only an inch apart.

''Oh, is that so?'' The law professor arched a challenging eyebrow, a sly smile distorting her perfect red lips. ''Care to give me a demonstration, _blondie_?'' She hissed, tilting her head upwards as her gaze lowered on Lidner's thin and attractive lips.

''Don't test me, darling.'' Hal replied, her voice deadly quiet and husky. ''You have no idea what I'm capable of.'' She reached up to grab Elena's arm, drawing her even closer.

The two women stayed still, staring right into each other's eyes, right into each other's soul for what seemed like ages, before an unsettled electronical cough brought them back to reality.

 _ **[Ladies, please.]**_

At the sound of L's voice, the two women immediately jerked back as if struck by lightning and looked away, suddenly realizing how suggestive and embarrassing the show they just provided the whole SPM team could appear.

''I am sorry, L.'' The former CIA agent spoke first, her voice steady and plain once again. ''I promise this won't happen again.'' She shot an hesitant glance at the golden-haired woman who was looking straight back at her, her lips slightly parted.

 _What a shame..._ Elena thought bitterly.

 _Wait...what did I just say?!_

She looked down as she felt an odd tremor in her forearm. And indeed, the arm Lidner had been holding with such fervor earlier was still shaking from...from what? Fear? Shock? Anticipation?

 _What is that? What the hell is wrong with me?!_

Eventually, she got a hold on herself and managed to let out a weak apology which didn't sound as sincere as it was supposed to be. ''Yes, sorry, L,'' she muttered. ''I guess we went a little too far...''

 _Though we were quite close..._

 _No, don't think about that!_

 _God! We were_ _ **so**_ _close..._

 _No! Elena, stop it!_

 _ **[Very well.]**_ The white-haired detective seemed to accept their apologies, as futile and meaningless they might be. _**[Now please, Miss Cabestan, leave the crime scene and get back to the headquarters.]**_

''B-But—'' The criminologist stuttered, gaping in disbelief. ''I just arrived here and I am not done with—''

 _ **[You did everything that needed to be done, believe me, Miss Cabestan. Besides, we need your help here.]**_

''Okay, but I can't leave, the car—''

 _ **[I already sent Rester to come and pick you, he will be there in approximately two minutes and thirty-three seconds.]**_

''Uh...okay, well, whatever.'' Elena sighed, shaking her head. She looked up to meet Lidner's blue eyes. The blonde woman nodded in approval and let slip a small gentle smile. Cabestan winked at her for the second time in the morning, her face lightening with a teasing grin. Hal did nothing but rolled her eyes as she surpressed a giggle.

The professor turned around and made her way towards the door.

 _ **[Oh, and...Miss Cabestan?]**_ L's low voice stopped her.

''What?''

Her answer was welcomed with a short hesitation on the other side of the communication.

 _ **[Please, bring back the doll to me.]**_

Elena Cabestan looked down at her hands where still lay the tiny puppet whose black empty eyes seemed to scrutinize, dissect her mercilessly. A shiver went down her spine. Her red lips curled up into a smirk.

''Of course, L.''

* * *

''L?''

The crouched figure slowly bent his head to the side, emerging from behind a tower entirely made up of dice, to look at the young woman sitting on a wheel chair in front of him, legs crossed and hazel eyes staring right back at him.

''Yes, Miss Cabestan?''

After Rester had brought her to the SPM building in one of the many black cars the team seemed to possess, he simply vanished into thin air. Since Lidner and Gevanni had stayed at the murder scene according to Near's orders, hoping to find any physical clue about Mello's presence and actual location, this left the two geniuses alone in the work room, in the middle of giant blank screens and skyscrapers of dice.

Elena had waited for a private conversation to speak about financial matters with L, and there were indeed many issues that remained unsolved, so here she was.

''I was wondering, uh—'' She began, quite uncomfortable. ''About my work— I mean, what about the course I was supposed to lead in Philadelphia law school? I'm paid to attend the classes and do my job, you know...''

''If that is all that disturbs you, you needn't worry about that, Miss Cabestan.'' Near replied sternly, reaching up to twirl a strand of hair around his index finger. ''I took care of it personally. I have called one of my acquaintance who appears to be a famous penal law professor and asked him to replace you for a while.''

Cabestan frowned slightly.

''Of course, he certainly isn't as skilled as you, for if he were, I would have asked for his help instead of yours, but I can tell you he is good enough to lead a law course in a university. Besides, I felt free to send him your preparations which were meant to be used as a basis for your lessons. I hope you won't hold it against me, but I figured the university would be pleased if the supply teacher followed the lessons originally planned for its students. Finally, I have an arrangement with your employer so you can rest assured he will pay you as if you did attend the classes. Obviously, meanwhile you will be rewarded for your work at the SPM as well. So as I said, I think you musn't worry about financial issues anymore.''

The criminologist gaped at him in awe. ''Uh, yes, I suppose I don't,'' she admitted hesitantly. ''Thank you, L.''

Near looked away from her to focus on this town of dice. ''There is no need to thank me, Miss Cabestan. This is the least I can do to make up for my rather unpleasing ways.''

Elena glanced down at the white-haired man, smiling.

 _Perhaps that kid's not that excruciating, after all..._

''Well, I guess you have a point.'' She shrugged, restraining a laugh as she spun her chair around to face her computer screen. She went back to reading and analyzing the document she had found. She had spent all her student years searching, selecting and examining laws of many different times and countries, as well as criminal and psychology texts, so that work was nothing new to her. L on the other hand, who was used to have someone to do the research for him, was shotting her a curious glance regularly. He couldn't help but be amazed by the speed at which the young woman went through all those lines of complicated and twisted words and turns of phrases.

 _Yes, this woman is incredible._ He repeated himself as he started building another construction with his endless collection of white and black dice.

Meanwhile, Elena Cabestan seemed wholly absorbed by the essay she was reading.

 _Every human has the inclination to become a criminal. So why are we not all murderers, rapists, robbers and so on? Simply because, if human instincts are indeed the same for all of us, however our feelings, our emotions don't express the same way. There are people who give in to the inclination, and there are those who don't. That is why there are criminals and innocent people._

 _What makes them different is their self-control. From the beginning of their life, people are taught how to control their emotions and let show only the positive ones. But what about the ones who had never been taught to hide the dangerous emotions that rot deep inside? What about the ones who had never had the chance to learn to conceal them? What about those who don't even know what is considered bad and what is considered good? After all, bad and good is only a matter of viewpoint, isn't it? There is no truth._

 _So if we cannot even be sure of what is good and what is bad, how are we supposed to decide what should be allowed and what should be forbidden? How are we supposed to judge other people on that basis? What does give us the right to put ourselves above the others? After all, the legislator is not different from the waitress, nor from the doctor, or the model. The only thing he has is knowledge. But what he learns and what he knows, isn't that only a matter of viewpoint as well?_

 _So how can we know? How can we judge? How can we blame other people for what we think is wrong? Can we really punish people we don't understand? Can we really blame them for their failure? What is failure anyway? Can we really blame them for losing control? Is losing control always bad? What if, by blaming them and punishing them without a second thought, we were the ones who lose control and fail to save our society?_

''Miss Cabestan.'' An emotionless voice interrupted her in her reading of one of the most famous essays of the criminal philosophy directory.

She turned around to face the kneeled figure who was not hiding behind the city of dice anymore, but looking straight at her. Everything in his current attitude showed that he wanted something. ''What is it, L?''

''What is your opinion about Kira?'' Near asked simply, straightforward.

Elena flinched a bit at the question. _What do you want me to answer, L?_ She wondered.

''Well, first I must remind you that I never had the chance to meet him— but from what I heard,'' she pondered, raising a thin hand to her chin, ''I would say the story of Kira is based on the greatest paradox that has ever been.''

L tilted his head to the side in genuine curiosity. ''The greatest paradox that has ever been?''

''Of course.'' Cabestan shrugged in response. ''A man killing criminals for public interest becomes a criminal, as a consequence he has to be punished. Even though the people who kill him to save the society may act on the behalf of justice, they are no better than him. Killing a criminal does not minimize the crime in any way. We don't judge crimes based on who is the victim, but based on who is the murderer. The right to life applies to everyone. Violate the right to life is a crime. A crime remains a crime, no matter against who you commit it. And if Kira didn't have the right to kill criminals, then you didn't have the right to put him to death either.''

Near froze at those words, his dark empty eyes fixed on the older woman. ''I didn't kill Kira.''

At his greatest surprise, the french professor chuckled mirthlessly. ''Oh really? And who did it, then, tell me? Peter Pan? Lady Gaga?''

L didn't seem to acknowledge the sarcasm in there. ''Kira has been destroyed, but none of us killed him. Not my agents, not the japanese task force either.''

''And then what?'' Elena leant forward, putting her elbows on her knees, resting her chin in her hand. ''Do you think that excuses you from causing the loss of a young man? Whether you were the one who put an end to his life or not doesn't matter, L. It would be rather foolish of you to think only death can destroy a life, don't you think?''

Then it was Elena's turn to gasp in surprise as the detective's pale lips lifted into a tiny smile. ''Are you defending Kira, Miss Cabestan?''

''What? No, I was just—''

''If Kira was still alive perpetrating his mass murders all around the world, I could easily come to the conclusion that the culprit is no one but you.'' The young woman could do nothing but blink at him in shock.

 _What the hell...?_

''Lidner might be right after all...'' As Cabestan only raised a confused eyebrow at him, he continued, grinning almost imperceptibly. ''You would make a perfect Kira, Elena Cabestan.''

''W-What did you just say?'' She muttered, widening her eyes.

''I wonder.'' Near kept exposing his new theory, without bothering to answer Elena's interrogations. ''Perhaps you would be even more unreachable than the first Kira. You indeed are very clever just as he was. One could say you both are geniuses in your own way. Besides, you can be very manipulative and seductive, maybe even more than he was. You are both working for the public justice service. But you have something that he had not.''

''Which is...?'' Cabestan let escape a weary sigh.

''Feelings.'' L started twirling his hair again nonchalantly.

''You are wrong.'' The professor replied, looking down, allowing some golden locks to flow down on her face.

''I beg your pardon?'' The white-dressed boy stiffened as his small body went perfectly still.

''You cannot discuss things you don't understand, L.'' Elena answered dryly. ''I thought you got that already, but I see I was wrong. Because you don't have emotions doesn't mean no one does. I have emotions, and I am sure Kira did as well. You think I am very much like him, uh? Well, then you can be happy. Your theory applies on that matter as well!'' She let herself sink further into her chair, leaning against the back. ''If Kira had no emotions, he would never have been born.''

''What leads you to that odd statement, Miss Cabestan?''

''Well...'' She rested her head on the head support, closing her eyes. ''If you had the means to achieve what Kira did, would you?''

''No.''

''Do you think the former L would?''

''No.''

Elena Cabestan smiled slightly, her eyes still shut. ''Then you have your answer. You have no emotions, and neither did the former L. I suppose we can't blame you for that, I bet you have been both raised this way, raised to become heartless. Made for fighting crime and saving the world. And so you became machines. But Kira didn't. He was nothing more than a young man overwhelmed by his emotions, disgusted by all the flaws of the human nature, angry at the whole world for doing nothing about it. I may be a lawyer, but I am no fool.'' Her light brown eyes flickered open to glance at the speechless detective.

''I know that law systems are not perfect, because perfection doesn't belong to this world, it belongs to the world of fantasies, some kind of a Neverland, if you believe in tales. Law systems are not flawless, and many criminals manage to escape the law. We see that everyday, and yet we can't do anything about it. What's really ironic is that it's only the worst kind who can do that, because they're simply cleverer— or madder— than the others. It is not that complicated to understand, L. And yet you can't, because you think, you don't _feel_.''

Near couldn't look away from the french woman, his lifeless eyes wide opened in puzzlement, without blinking, not even once.

''But Kira did feel. And when he had the chance and the means to do it, he chose to act. He freed all his feelings and he let them take control. He lost his mind in the process, of course, that is quite obvious. But at the beginning, he was nothing more than a sain utopist young man with strong beliefs and powerful feelings. And who can blame him for that, hm? Well, I won't. Nobody can.''

L frowned and opened his mouth to talk but she didn't provide him time to do so. ''And certainly not _you_ , L.''

''Kira was an abominable murderer, the worst this world has ever known.'' The crouched figure spoke finally. ''He had to be stopped at any cost.''

''Of course he had to be stopped!'' Elena spread her arms in an infuriated gesture. ''I never said he was right, nor that he shoudn't have been arrested! Who do you think I am, L?! I am a lawyer, not an anarchist!'' She shook her head frantically.

''Although I think you shouldn't have let him die. No one deserves to die, not criminals, not innocents, _no one_. We are all humans, L. Angels and monsters are humans too. Criminals are just one special kind of humans, the ones who don't know how to conceal their emotions, nor how to control them, so they just let them go. They can't think straight, and that's what leads them in the path of crime. Mad or not, it's all the same. Everything is a matter of emotions, L. Kira was granted with a power that allowed him to express his feelings freely. He became a crazy and narcissist mass murderer, as Lidner said. But he shouldn't die for that. No one should die for that. The only thing that needed to be done was to punish him. And for that, you should have learnt to understand him.''

Near's black eyes grew even wider if that was even possible, causing the law professor to sneer.

''Yes, you heard me, L. That was all it took. Arrest him, talk to him and understand him. Then you could have figured out a suitable punishment for him. Death is not a punishment, L. Death was _never_ a punishment. Especially not for those who committed all sorts of sins. Especially for those, death is nothing more than a gift, a release. For them, death is... _mercy_.''

Slowly, Near lowered his dark gaze, as if founding the ground utterly fascinating. He bent a knee which was soon pressed to his chest and rested his pale hand on top of it.

''You truly are incredible, Miss Cabestan,'' he said quietly. ''That revelation leads me to think that I am happy you are not Kira and never had the chance to meet him and join him in his quest. I am very glad he found an assistant with low intelligence instead of you. Whoever he chose to rule by his side...it could have been everyone, but _you_. If he did find you, if he did have you by his side...'' Cabestan furrowed her eyebrows as she observed a small shiver going through the hunched back of the young detective.

''Then what?'' She asked, her voice suddenly hoarse.

Eventually, L raised his head, dark endless orbs meeting warm hazel eyes in a deafening silence.

''If two great minds such as yours ever met...'' A livid hand reached up to intertwine white locks of hair. ''No matter how many opponents you would have had to face, no matter how many task forces we would have created, no matter how many world's greatest detectives would have stood in your way, no matter L, N, M, Erald Coyle, Deneuve...''

Elena felt herself gradually getting drown into an indescribable dread as Near's black eyes started to shine with an unreadable glow.

''...You would have ruled the world together.''

A chill ran down her spine.

''You would have destroyed us all.''

She struggled to swallow.

''You would have been unstoppable.''

The two geniuses stayed still, motionless, one kneeling on the floor, the other leaning on a wheel chair, staring at each other, thinking, poundering, analizing in silence. A million of understandings, arguments, doubts, certainties spiralizing in their brilliant minds...

Until a loud and piercing sound broke the heavy silence. A ring. Coming from the computers. Elena stared at the world's greatest detective as he slowly tilted his head upwards to look at the dozen screens hung on the wall behind her. As slowly, the french woman spun her chair around and gasped.

 _No. This can't be._

And yet it was.

She looked above her shoulder. Near couldn't take his eyes off of the giant white screens, now displaying one single threatening, defiant letter. One single letter that caused the two to froze in apprehension.

 _ **M**_

''L...?'' Cabestan whispered, her eyes hypnotized by the thick dark letter.

''Miss Cabestan, please press the grey switch right next to your left hand.'' L ordered coolly. ''And do stay quiet during the whole conversation that is bound to follow.''

The young woman merely nodded as she reached up to press the knob with a red polished finger. Without further notice, a husky voice filled the headquarters.

''Hello Near, I hope your little investigation progresses well.'' The voice chuckled smoothly.

''It does.'' The white-haired boy answered flatly. ''Thank you for your concern, Mello.''

''Glad to hear it.''

 _ **Croc.**_

Elena startled. _What the hell was that?_

''What does Mello want?''

''I thought I already answered that question, Near,'' Mello said, his voice lower than ever.

 _ **Croc.**_

''I know. I am wondering why did Mello call this time?''

''Well, maybe I just wanted to hear your voice...''

 _ **Croc.**_

At those words, Cabestan slowly turned her head backwards to look at the small detective. He was not glaring at the screens anymore, instead he had reported his attention to his constructions of dice. He stood there, a tiny hand stopped in mid-air above one of the huge skyscrapers.

''Why would Mello want to hear my voice?'' He asked quietly, his voice suddenly hesitant.

''And why can't you stop asking questions?!'' A menacing growl made itself heard on the other end of the line. ''You are the one who's supposed to find the answers, remember? By the way, did you find the answer to the question I asked you last time?''

 _ **Croc.**_

''Yes.''

''Great! So tell me, _Near_ , since you know everything... What do I want?''

Near slowly raised his head to meet the professor's concerned gaze. She frowned and nodded in agreement in response at his silent interrogation, not sure exactly of what was expected of her.

''Mello wants me to...remember.'' L murmured quietly.

 _ **Croc.**_

A joyless laugh echoed in the loudspeakers. ''Wow. Good job, Near! Seriously, you impress me. You finally got it. Congratulations, _L_...''

The law professor risked a glance towards the young boy once again. She just figured that was the best she could do because she would better not interfere in that tense little chat and she also found quite interesting to observe the kid while he was talking to the only person who could send him over the edge.

Near hadn't placed the last dice he was still holding tightly between his fingertips, as if he was waiting for something, as if he knew Mello was not done yet, as if...

''...Or should I rather say... Congratulations, _Elena Cabestan._ ''

 _No. This is impossible! How can he...?_

 _ **Croc.**_

The dice fell.

 _ **Tic.**_

The building collapsed. The skyscraper next to it followed. The whole city crumbled.

 _ **CRASH.**_

All that was left in the headquarters were a deep throaty laugh, and chaos.

Indescribable chaos.

* * *

 **AN: Here is chapter 5. I hope I didn't make you wait for too long!**

 **Now I bet you're all asking yourselves one single question...**

 ** _Just how the hell Mello can know about Elena?  
_** **Hm. Well, that's a good question, my dears! I know the answer though... :P  
** **I can give you a small hint if you want: this is not what you're thinking. That's all you'll get for now! xD**

 **The answer will be in the next chapter, hold on!**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Please feel free to share your thoughts, it would mean a lot to me and it helps me write as well.  
** **I'll try to write chapter 6 as soon as possible, but as I said I'm kinda busy at the moment. But I'll do everything I can, I promise.**

 **Bye bye, humans!**

 _ **C.**_


	6. Broken Soul

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 6: Broken Soul**

''I bet you're wondering how I managed to discover your secret weapon now, aren't you, _Near_?''

 _ **Croc.**_

Elena Cabestan could do nothing but stare at the world's greatest detective, mouth agape, brown eyes widening in pure shock, whereas the white-haired boy was crouching on the cold ground, his small body perfectly still as he was stretching a hand above his destroyed construction. Eventually, he put his hand down on his knee. His dark orbs lowered to set on the floor covered with a messy carpet of dice.

''Indeed,'' he answered blankly.

''So you really have no idea, uh?'' Mello asked again, clearly amused. ''And what about your _friend_? No need to keep your mouth shut anymore, Cabestan. I know you're there. It's not very polite to not greet people who are addressing you, you know.''

 _ **Croc.**_

The french professor flinched slightly, not knowing what to do nor what to think.

''So let's start over,'' he said simply. ''Hello, Miss Cabestan.''

Elena swallowed. ''Hello, Mello.'' She complied hesitantly.

''That's better,'' the young man sneered. ''So tell me, _Near_... You really don't know how I heard about the famous french penal law professor you have been bold enough to kidnap at her workplace?'' Mello chuckled darkly. ''Though I must say I find this quite funny. I thought I was the one making all the moves here, and now you're the one kidnapping people? Damn, L! You've fallen quite a ways since I last saw you.''

 _ **Croc.**_

''I suppose you are right.'' Near agreed quietly. ''But you left me no choice, _Mello..._ ''

''Oh come on, Near! Don't put the blame on me. You are the world's greatest detective. I'm sure you could have figured a way to reach to your dear lawyer friend other than by kidnapping her. Let's be honest, it was just easier for you that way. You didn't want to lose, so you forced her into working for you. I bet you promised her a great amount of money, maybe also a huge flat in your fucking building, and probably tons of other material benefits...'' The blonde boy paused.

 _Touché_ , Elena thought, restraining a grin.

 _And the worst part is that it actually worked..._ She sighed.

''Between you and me, you are no better than me, Near. You're just as unethical as I am. The only difference is you take a great care to hide it while I don't give a fuck.''

 _ **Croc.**_

 _And the point goes to Mello..._

She dared a look towards the younger man in front of her. L was as motionless as ever, his empty gaze still fixed on the floor.

''Perhaps you are right, Mello,'' was the only response Near gave him in his low flat voice.

''So that's it?! You're just gonna listen and agree with everything I tell you?!'' Mello burst out.

At Cabestan's greatest surprise, the kneeled figure let escape a heavy sigh. ''Perhaps I am tired of fighting with you, Mello.''

An awkward silence filled the room as well as the loudspeakers. And suddenly, a husky cry exploded in their ears.

''But I will never stop fighting with you, Near! Do you understand me?! _Never_. And this time, I'll win! I'll be the first one!''

''Mello.'' The detective's calm voice contrasted deeply with Mello's harsh one.

''This is not about being the first one to catch Kira, nor earning the title of L, not anymore. We could even say it has never been. We both know it. So I am going to ask you once, Mello... Please stop killing those children. They are innocent, they have their whole life ahead of them. They don't deserve to die. They have nothing to do with this, and you know it very well.''

Elena's gaze went from Near to the black thick _**M**_ , then back to Near. She was wondering who would win that battle of words this time.

''This is only between you and me. It has always been. So please, Mello, stop what you are doing already and join me—''

''Join you? Join _you_?! Ah! Never! I'd rather die before I come anyway near you!''

''Mello, this is not a game anymore. You are playing with humans' lives, children's lives. You're just making yourself a pale copy of B, trying desperately to be the best. Remember what happened to him when he defied the former L. After all you have been through to protect your own life, I suppose you wouldn't want all those efforts to go to waste...''

''Is that a threat, Near?'' The older boy asked, his voice deadly cold.

''No, it isn't, Mello. It is merely a warning.'' The white-dressed man reached up to whirl a strand of hair around his index finger. ''Mello, your only problem is with me. So I will make you an offer. Stop everything you have been doing lately and come to the headquarters. Come to me, and let's solve this issue face to face.''

''No! I won't stop until one of us wins, Near!'' Mello fought back instantly. ''I'm not gonna give up now! Not after all I've done to beat you! And I'll succeed, believe me! You want me to stop? Fine! Then _make_ me...''

Elena frowned as she caught a slight shudder running down Near's spine, which he almost managed to hide beneath his oversized white shirt.

''I won't stop until the game is over. You want it to end? Okay. Come and catch me, Near.''

Another sigh came from the slouched silhouette. ''Very well, Mello. As you wish.'' Silence took over the headquarters once again, but L soon broke it as he continued, ''By the way, Mello...''

''What?'' He groaned.

''I am sorry for your loss. I am aware Matt was a great friend of yours. He was very clever...and I also heard he was quite good with all sorts of electronic devices.''

Mello laughed darkly. ''I knew you would get it,'' he said bitterly.

 _ **Croc.**_

''Near.''

A noisy sound, as if a paper was being roughly crushed, echoed in the loudspeakers.

''Mello.''

The little white man slid a finger further on his head to twirl another lock of hair in a slow and delicate gesture.

 _ **Croc.**_

''Which of us is gonna reach the other first, I wonder...'' Mello whispered.

Elena surpressed a gasp as she saw a tiny smile crossing the young boy's pale lips.

''The race is on...again.''

''We're both heading towards the same destination...again. I'll be waiting for you.''

L chuckled almost imperceptibly. ''Alright.''

A light sound escaped from the loudspeakers. A laugh. Pure and gentle. Not a hint of bitterness or sarcasm was hiding in that mesmerizing sound. Just a low and soothing sound. A genuine laugh.

Finally, a loud crack announced that the communication was over. Near slowly withdrew his hand from his short hair and picked one of the thousand dice in his thin fingers. Elena let herself fall into her chair, closing her eyes. Then she leant forward to rest her elbows on her knees and started rubbing her temples.

''God, that man is gonna give us a heart attack some day...'' She groaned. Suddenly, Near turned towards her and gave her the most piercing and frightening gaze she had ever seen, which caused her to eventually realize what she had just said.

''Oh, shit! I didn't mean to— I mean, I know you probably don't want to hear about heart attacks. Look, I know you care about him, but it's just— Well, he's kinda creepy sometimes, so I was just saying that— I mean, I assure you it was not a pun intended—''

''Miss Cabestan.'' L cut her off blandly.

''Yes?'' She replied.

''Do you think I care about Mello?''

Elena blinked at him before chuckling. ''Oh yeah, you do. You wouldn't sacrifice your pride and ask for help to solve any case. But this time it's different, you said it yourself, remember? You said it was no ordinary case, and that's why you're dealing with it differently. You did all this because of _him_. If it was not for him, you would have just found his hidding place and arrest him right away. Am I right?''

''Yes, I suppose you are, Miss Cabestan.'' Near looked down.

''Of course I am. Now, would you care explaining me how did Mello learn about me?''

''Mello's best friend and partner in crime, Matt, used to be a computer genius,'' he explained sternly. ''He was remarkably skilled in the field of bugs and hidden cameras. When Mello informed me he has heard about you, I figured he had put the headquarters under surveillance. Since Matt is dead one year ago, I guess he had left some cameras and bugs behind him for Mello to use them when he will see fit.''

''I see...'' She widened her eyes. ''But that means—''

''Mello knows where the headquarters are, yes.'' Near finished her sentence.

''Yeah, but it also means that—''

''The monitoring system leaves a bit to be desired, indeed.'' He sighed slightly. ''But do not worry yourself with that, Miss Cabestan. I will take appropriate measures to fix this issue as soon as possible. However, I think this system default didn't serve Mello very much for if it did—''

''He wouldn't have told us he knew about me,'' she cut him off, ''because it would lead you to think the security system was lacking. And if he wanted to keep spying on us, he wouldn't have taken that risk, not even to gloat about the fact he fooled you by breaking into the system. It would be foolish of him.''

''Exactly.'' The white-haired boy started gathering the dice around him. ''That is why I think this little trick of his wasn't of any use.''

The professor simply nodded. Then she focused on the small silhouette before her. ''May I ask you a question, L?''

''You may.''

She frowned slightly before speaking. ''At the end of the conversation, Mello and you both laughed, as if all this was nothing more than a game— which I start to believe more and more every minute I spend in your company—'' She shook her head. ''But what you were both saying, it sounded...I don't know, weird... As if you were merely quoting some lines of a random movie, or I don't know... It sounded almost like a code between you two—''

Her brown eyes seemed to lighten. ''Yeah, that's it! A code that only you and Mello can understand...''

Finally, the young man turned towards the law professor, raising one of his eyebrows. ''Did I already tell you you are incredible, Miss Cabestan?''

Taken aback, the french woman muttered. ''Uh, yeah, you did...''

''Then I won't say it again.'' With that, L just rotated on his knees and resumed facing his fallen construction.

''In fact, you just did...'' Elena mumbled under her breath before coughing awkwardly, which earned her a puzzled glare from the detective. ''Whatever.'' She sighed. ''Please, just answer my question.'' As she distinguished a small nod of the white head below her, she continued. ''Did you already have that conversation with Mello before?''

''Yes, I did.''

''For the Kira case, I guess. You were competing each other to try and catch Kira first, weren't you?''

''Indeed.''

''Just as Kira and L were competing each other to catch the other first...'' She let out a small laugh. ''It's funny how the story always repeats itself.''

''I am afraid I fail to see what is funny about that, but I suppose you could say so.'' Near started to build the fundations of a new skyscrapers made of dice.

Elena Cabestan sank into her chair once again, sighing deeply, not even trying to hide her exasperation. ''Yeah, well, the day you find something funny, you call me!'' She scoffed.

''I shall do so.'' A tiny grin gradually won over the blank face of the world's greatest detective.

Elena looked down at him, arching her eyebrow in disbelief, surpressing a grin of her own.

 _God, this kid is unsufferable._

* * *

A few hours later, the SPM members were all reunited in the headquarters, sitting in front of their computer screens and eating a meal that had been brought by a very mindful Rester. In the middle of the huge room stood a new town made up entirely of dice built out of the ashes of the former one that Mello's intervention had caused to crumble. Elena Cabestan was reading carefully through the victims data until something quite odd struck her attention.

''Well, that's interesting...'' She began, a smile of satisfaction tugging on her red lips.

''What is it, Miss Cabestan?'' A plain voice everyone knew too well asked.

''Did you notice the victims' names thing, L?'' She sneaked a glance above her shoulder.

''Yes, I did. In fact, I started fueling suspicions about the names from the second murder already. My suspicions only grew with the third one obviously.''

''Hm...'' She raised a hand to her chin. ''That's interesting, don't you think?''

Before the detective had time to answer, a low and steady voice interfered. ''Cabestan.'' She turned her head to the left, staring at the black-haired man next to her, waiting. ''What is wrong with the victims' name? We checked the victims' informations quite a lot, and we never spotted something unusual.'' Gevanni said.

''Well, seems you didn't make a good job of it cause there _is_ something unusual.'' The young woman shrugged nonchalantly. ''Just listen. The first victim is called Melvin Norris, the second one is Nora Mooney, and the third—''

''Mickael Nichols, yes we already know that.'' He crossed his arms on his chest. ''But I can't see what is wrong with those names.''

At the whole team's greatest surprise, the answer didn't come from the criminologist but from the blonde woman sitting at her right.

''The first and last names start whether with a M or a N, Gevanni.'' Lidner said dryly. ''I bet that was Elena's point, wasn't it?'' She glanced at the golden-haired woman next to her. Cabestan smiled at her.

''Bingo!'' She snapped her fingers right before the older woman's eyes, causing the latter to startle. ''Yes, that was _exactly_ my point.''

''I see what you mean, Cabestan.'' Gevanni reported his attention on his computer screen. ''You think this is part of the murderer's modus operandi.''

''Indeed.''

''But...why?'' Gevanni asked, giving her a quizzical look.

''Good question.'' Hal Lidner muttered.

''Well, first Mello wants to provoke L, but I bet we all got that already...'' All the SPM members nodded at the same time. ''And second...'' All eyes focused on the french professor. ''He wants to deliver a message.''

''What message would that be?'' Near tilted his head to the side, waiting for her to elaborate.

''Well, he didn't choose the letters M and N randomly. I think he wants to say _this_ is about you two. M and N, Mello and Near, Near and Mello...and no one else.''

''But then,'' Lidner interrupted her, ''why switching the first letters? Why picking a victim whose first name starts with a M and last name starts with a N, and the next time, the other way around?''

''I think that is meant for L to understand that no matter what they do nor what they say, they are equals. Sometimes, M is first, and sometimes, N is. None of them is always the first one. No matter what L had accomplished, nor who had won the last battle, they had always been and will always be equals.''

''That's a beautiful message.'' Lidner commented absently.

''Lidner, please do keep in mind that we are currently speaking about dead children. I don't think there is anything _beautiful_ about that.'' L reminded her coldly.

''Yes,'' Elena agreed, ''but Lidner is right though.'' The other woman glanced at her, as if to thank her for defending her. ''During this investigation, we must not see the children like dead corpses. We need to see them as objects, tools that only serve us to communicate with Mello. We have to see them as...'' She pondered the right words to choose, looking up at the ceiling, before a soothing voice spoke for her.

''Toys.'' Hal finished for her. Cabestan looked up to see blue eyes staring right back at her. She smiled slightly. ''Exactly. _Toys_.''

A deafening silence took over the dark room, as if no one dared to contradict the criminologist. But after a while, the world's greatest detective broke the silence.

''Miss Cabestan, did you ever hear about the Los Angeles B.B. Murder Case?''

Elena spun her chair around to face the crouched figure. ''L, you must know I used to leave in France, right?'' She raised an eyebrow at him. ''I only made a few occasional trips to United States to lead my law courses. I can't be aware of all the murder cases that ever occurred in Los Angeles!'' She rolled her eyes, leaning on her seat.

Unexpectedly, Near just looked at her and smirked. Cabestan frowned, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. ''What...what makes you smile, L?''

''Oh, nothing, Miss Cabestan, nothing.'' He replied blankly, lowering his gaze. ''It is just quite ironic to see your answer is exactly the same as the one L's agent gave him when he asked her the exact same question...'' He glanced at her once again.

''Yes, Miss Cabestan. You were right. I guess the story is bound to repeat itself after all.'' He placed a dice on his construction. ''During that case, L had called for help too. He asked for the F.B.I. agent Naomi Misora, a young clever japanese woman who was then killed by Kira. It is quite fascinating to see how Miss Misora and yourself are so much alike. Maybe if he had known of your existence, L would have called for you just like I did, who knows...?''

''Yeah, fascinating, really.'' She waved a dismissive hand at him, not putting any effort in concealing her annoyance anymore. ''But if you could please stop comparing me to Misora, Kira, L, or whatever, and just get to the point, I would be grateful.'' She glared at him impatiently.

''Very well.'' The white figure barely shrugged. ''Beyond Birthday wanted to beat L. He was killing people whose initials were whether B.B. or Q.Q. Beyond Birthday had been raised at the Wammy's House with L, just like Mello and myself a few years later. At the end, thanks to Misora's reasoning skills, L managed to catch Beyond Birthday. In 2004, he died in his prison cell...of a heart attack.''

Elena Cabestan froze.

''Kira...'' She stuttered, clenching her fists.

''Indeed.'' L nodded. ''That story had been told in a notebook which I found with Mello's possessions in his apartment as we all believed in his death. I bet you already guessed who wrote that story down...''

''Mello.'' She answered without a second thought. ''Of course.'' She shook her head in amusement. ''Everything is linked, it's almost tiring. I'm afraid all this stuff will end up giving me a headache some day...''

''Near.'' Gevanni called for his boss in his usual neutral voice. ''Do you think Mello was inspired by Beyond Birthday's modus operandi when he perpetrated his own crimes?''

''I do not think, Gevanni,'' Near stated emotionlessly. ''I am sure of it.''

''Great!'' Elena spread her arms in defeat. ''So we have a detective fond of toys and a murderer crazy about initials. _Per-fect._ '' She growled, hiding her face in her hand. ''So how are we supposed to call that case, uh?'' She wondered as if for herself, looking around to see the others' reaction.

''That's quite obvious.'' Lidner answered her rhetorical question, turning her head towards the younger woman, smiling.

''The New York City M.N. Murder Case.''

''Wow.'' The young professor snorted. ''That's a long name. But I guess this is a good parallel.''

* * *

After a couple hours spent searching for every potential victim in consideration of their names which were both starting with an M and an N—or the other way around— the SPM task force was starting to lose all hope. How to protect all the people living in New York and whose initials were M.N. or N.M.? That represented at least a thousands of people. That was simply an impossible mission.

Elena Cabestan looked down at her wrist where her golden watch displayed the local time.

 _7:42 pm. Damn, I need a shower!_

''Uh, L?'' She rose from her seat, still fixing her watch. ''Do you mind if I take a break and come back later?''

Near didn't even look up. ''Of course not. You are not my prisoner, Miss Cabestan. You have been working on this case for a quite long while by now, so I guess it is only fair to give you some rest time. You can even go and have dinner outside of the building if you wish. Nonetheless, I will be waiting for you at 10 in the headquarters.''

''Okay, thank you L.'' She started towards the doors, waving at the team. ''I'll be back.''

Hal Lidner watched the french woman as she exited the room, the sliding doors closing right behind her.

 _What a shame. Oh, wait. And what if...?_

* * *

 _''Pendant que la marée monte, et que chacun refait ses comptes,''_ the law professor was humming a french song* quietly as she got out of the shower, wrapping a white soft towel around her chest. _''J'emmène au creux de mon ombre des poussières de toi_ ,'' she tied the towel around her body and headed towards the bathroom door. '' _Le vent l'emporter—_ Ah, _merde_!'' She almost fell backwards as she found herself facing a well-known blonde woman, smirking at her from the doorstep.

''Fuck, Lidner! Have you lost your mind?!'' She yelled at the older woman whose face showed absolutely no trace of remorse. ''You could have caused me a heart attack, you crazy woman!'' Elena got a hold on the white fabric covering her as she avoided Lidner to walk and reach the wardrobe. She threw a glance at Lidner as she began fetching some clothes. ''Why are you here anyway? I thought this room has only two keys, which are in here!''

Hal leaned against the door, her thin lips curled up into a smirk. ''Well, I lied.'' The younger woman frowned at her, suspiscious. ''I have dupplicate keys, actually. L's orders.'' She shrugged her slender shoulders as if it wasn't up to her.

''Yeah, well,'' the criminologist glared at her, her hazel eyes shining with a strange gleam she couldn't exactly put words on, ''next time I would like you to knock before entering my apartment. You may not care about your privacy, but I do care about mine.'' She turned away from her. ''Now would you please go and wait for me in the living room while I'm dressing myself?''

Lidner couldn't help but give a mischevious smile which the other woman could not see as she was still turning her back on her. ''Of course, Elena. Your wish is my command.'' She agreed though sarcastically and slowly made her way towards the living room, not seeing the professor as she rolled her eyes. She sat on the couch in front of the large bay window which showed a beautiful view of Central Park.

 _He gave her the flat with the most beautiful view,_ she observed. _She really must be a major asset for him._

She furrowed her bright eyebrows, remembering the threatening glow inhabiting Elena's usual warm eyes as she approached her when she got out of her shower.

 _Why did she look at me like that ? It was like...like she was going to hurt me, but she was trying to get a hold on herself. She looked unsettled, uneasy. Is that possible that she doesn't like human contact unless...unless she's the one initiating it?_

She shook her head, sighing. _There is something she isn't telling us. Something about Kira, or L, or...I don't know. Something she is hiding, deep inside. I have no idea what it might be, nor if it even exists somewhere, but I have a feeling... And those kind of feelings never failed me before. It's those feelings which allowed me to enter the C.I.A. in the first place, so they must be important somehow. I am going to set up my own little private investigation. I'm sure this woman is so much more than a genius mind, some classy looks and a pretty face—_

 _Wait. What did I just say? No, I can't possibly—_

''So,'' she was pulled out of her disturbing thoughts by a soft voice, ''what do you want, Hal?'' She was about to answer when she saw a silhouette passing before her, she followed all its movements as it slowly leant against the glass in front of her.

Cabestan was wearing a black suit composed of a dark jacket which enhanced her silhouette beautifully, a white tight shirt, dark pants and dark high heels.

Hal gaped at her before she finally reminded herself the other woman was waiting for an answer. ''Do you always dress as if you're going to meet the President?'' She chuckled lightly.

Elena raised a tempting eyebrow. ''And do you always eat with your eyes every woman who wears a suit in your presence?'' She fought back, smirking.

''No, actually it seems I've been discovering that new ability of mine quite recently...'' Lidner said teasingly, devouring Elena's figure from top to bottom with her eyes once again, as if to prove her point. The younger woman's lips curved into a smirk which matched Lidner's just perfectly.

''And to answer your question, I suppose being classy is such a usual thing to me that eventually it became part of my charm.''

''Undoubtedly.'' Hal raised an amused eyebrow at her. ''Is modesty part of your charm as well?'' Ignoring her question, Elena moved to seat on the sofa in front of her, smiling widely, satisfaction painted all over her face.

''I remember I asked you a question, Hal.'' She crossed her legs in a sultry fashion. ''What are you doing here?''

''Well,'' the former C.I.A. agent simply shrugged, ''L ordered me to accompany you on your break. He said you would perhaps appreciate a guide to wander the city.''

If it was even possible, Cabestan's smile grew only wider as she rested her chin in her hand. ''That's indeed a good idea. I'm sure you would be the perfect guide for me.'' She stood and walked away. Lidner frowned as the professor was suddenly out of sight. She turned her head to the left...

Nothing.

 _Where did that demon go? I am sure she—_

She was cut off in her own thoughts as she felt a warm breath on her pale neck. She froze in anticipation. A smooth blow stroke the hollow of her ear as a whisper was escaping from red scarlet lips. ''Then what are we waiting for?'' A cold hand was posed on her shoulder, sliding closer to her neck in a slow tormenting gesture. ''Shall we?'' Silky lips brushed her ear. A shiver rolled down her spine...

And suddenly, the hand was gone and the lips vanished into thin air. She shook her head and rose from the couch, turning around to face the very pleased french professor who was staring right back at her, hands on her hips, a carnivorous grin spread all over her graceful features.

''Very well, let's go,'' she grumbled between her teeth as she made her way towards the door, leaving the defiant woman behind her.

 _I came into her room to have the upper hand on her, but she somehow managed to turn the tables..._

''Ah, finally! I thought you would never move from that couch, but better late than never, uh?'' Came Elena's ironic voice from behind her.

She restrained a growl as she opened the black wooden door.

 _Damn you, Elena!_

Elena Cabestan followed the blonde's steps, grinning widely, and closed the door behind them.

 _I won, Hal._

* * *

'' _Cheval Blanc_ 1986? Yes, that is perfect.'' Elena Cabestan winked slyly at the waiter who smiled at her, blushing furiously. He nodded shyly as his frightened eyes met Lidner's icy gaze and turned away to leave after he took the two women's orders. Lidner frowned at the young woman.

''Isn't it one of the most prestigious and expensive wine in the world?'' She asked, looking slightly disturbed.

''Oh, it is,'' the french woman answered frankly. ''But you see, I have a weakness for red wine, and I just cannot accept to drink some cheap wine of some worthless unknown chateau.'' She bit her lower lip. At that sight, an odd warmth suddenly overwhelmed the blonde. The SPM agent raised a hand to her mouth, restraining a quiet cough as she shifted uncomfortably on her chair.

 _What is wrong with me...? She's just biting her lip, that's nothing! I shouldn't feel that way! This is—_

''But don't worry, Hal.'' Cabestan waved a dismissive hand. ''I'll take accountability for the wine. You won't have to pay any dollar for it.''

The older woman arched an eyebrow. ''I am not worried, Elena.'' She gave the professor a light smile.

''I was merely wondering...your intelligence, your reasoning skills, your sarcasm, your insolence, your love for wine... What other surprise do you have in store, Elena Cabestan?''

''Believe me, _Hal Lidner_ , you ain't seen nothing yet.'' Elena's brown eyes shone with mischief.

Lidner smirked in response but remained silent.

The two women were having their dinner in a small cosy french restaurant, a few buildings away from the headquarters. Lidner had lead the younger woman here for she guessed she must be missing the cuisine of her home country. She had been rewarded for her attention with a radiant smile and a light-hearted laugh from the professor, which had the unexpected effect to warm the blonde's heart and soul, but she chose not to focus on that rather disturbing feeling at the moment.

Hal couldn't afford herself to forget why she was dining with Elena Cabestan. She had devoted herself to Near, the SPK, Mello, the SPM...and now, a young french lawyer coming out of nowhere was suddenly entering the game and was having a great part in it. She must admit that new player had somehow managed to tickle her curiosity. Great looks, great mind, great ideals...and yet, something was wrong with that woman. She was hiding something, she was sure of it. Something important, something huge, something dark.

She had promised herself she was going to discover Elena Cabestan's dirty little secret at any cost. And for that, she had to make the first move. Because, as a well known detective once said, 'the one who strikes first wins', right? And now was the time to act.

''There's something about you, Elena...'' Hal began, choosing her words carefully, her bright blue eyes never leaving Cabestan's brown ones. ''Something mesmerizing, appealing, and perhaps a little bit threatening. Something strange, unique...'' She shook her head. ''I simply cannot put my finger on it, but...I know there is that something within you, something you're holding back, something you're hiding from us.'' She paused, not taking her eyes off of Elena, not even for one second.

''What is it that makes you so special, Elena ?''

Slowly, the criminologist bright face seemed to fade. She broke eye contact, looking down at her glass absently, grasping it in her thin hand, and spinning its foot between her fingers. She sighed, smiling sadly.

''Mysteries are meant to be uncovered.'' She said quietly, her voice unusually hoarse. ''Some things are better left untold, Hal.'' She glanced up at the former C.I.A. agent, her hazel eyes covered with a thin layer of gloom.

Hal gasped in surprise. She could do nothing but get drowned into that bleakness.

 _What is it you're hiding from us, Elena? What is it you're hiding from **me**? What is wrong with you?_

As if she had read her mind, Elena spoke again, even quieter than before. ''You think I chose to involve myself in this case in order to help L...'' Lidner gave her a questioning look. ''But you're wrong. I chose to solve this case because I want to help _Mello_.''

Hal frowned deeply. _What is it you are trying to tell me, Elena?_

''I know how weird this may sound, but I understand them, Hal.'' Elena's chestnut eyes seemed to darken as she pronounced those forbidden words. ''Criminals. I understand them.'' She bent her head to the side, staring at nothing. ''I met one once. I knew I could help him...'' She put her head down. ''But I failed him.''

 _Elena, why are you telling me this...? What all this has to do with Mello and Near?_

All of a sudden, the french professor raised her head. Her gleaming eyes met Lidner's in a tense silence.

''I know how to recognize a broken soul, Hal.''

Hal opened her mouth to talk, but shut it instantly, not knowing what to say. Elena's determined gaze was still set on her, hypnotizing her, eating her alive.

''There is only one way to learn how to recognize a broken soul. Do you know what it is, Hal?'' The young woman leant forward, inching her face closer.

The blonde shook her head negatively, holding her breath as she waited for the lawyer's answer.

''Learning how to recognize a broken soul has a price,'' Cabestan stated as she lowered her gaze, folding her hands on the table. ''In order to recognize a broken soul...'' She repeated very slowly, her eyes gradually turning empty and blank as she glared at the tablecloth. Her hands were clutching at one another, her red nails digging into her flesh.

Then the criminologist looked up, golden curls flowing down on her cheeks, her void gaze locking tightly with Lidner's, enticing her, imprisoning her. Hal felt her lungs ache as it still refused to welcome the fresh air she was so desperate to feel. At that very instant, she felt like she could die waiting.

''You have to break your own soul first.''

Hal gaped, widening her eyes in confusion. ''But you didn't...'' She sputtered, finding herself at loss of words. ''Your soul is not—''

At her greatest surprise, Elena cut her off as a hollow chuckle escaped her red lips.

''Oh, Hal. Don't you get it? Mello was right all along...'' She leant in closer until their faces were only inches apart. A cold breath brushed Lidner's lips, causing a chill to roll down her spine. Eventually, Elena whispered.

 _''Visions are seldom all they seem._ ''

* * *

 **Notes:**

 _*'Le vent l'emportera'_ by Noir Désir.

Translation:

 _'Pendant que la marée monte et que chacun refait ses comptes'_ = While the tide is rising and everyone is retaking account of their lives,  
 _'J'emmène au creux de mon ombre des poussières de toi'_ = In the hollow of my shadow, I bring some dust of you,  
 _'Le vent l'emportera'_ = The wind will sweep it away.

P.S. _Cheval Blanc_ is an actual Bordeaux red whine which is very famous all around the world (and so very expensive).

The vintage year Elena chose is _1986_. I must admit I absolutely don't know which vintage year is better.

So why choose that year, you may ask?

Well, I'll trust your detective skills on this...

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Here is Chapter 6. It was quite a long chapter, I hope you enjoyed it though.**

 **What Elena Cabestan is hiding? That's the one million dollar question, isn't it?  
** **Well, you'll know if you read the following chapters! ;P**

 **I am in exams period, so please be patient. I don't know when I'll be able to update, but I'll try to write Chapter 7 as soon as possible.**

 **Bye bye, humans!**

 **Please** **review** **and share your thoughts, I would be very grateful!**

 _ **C.**_


	7. Understand

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 7: Understand**

''L?''

Near turned his white head towards the origin of the sound.

''Yes, Gevanni?''

''Where did Lidner go?'' His employee asked casually.

''She went to accompany Miss Cabestan downtown, I suppose.''

Gevanni frowned slightly. ''Didn't she tell you where she was going?''

L reached up to twirl a strand of hair around his index finger. He raised his head slowly, causing his dark bottomless eyes to finally catch the other man's quizzical gaze.

''You should know by now that I have no authority over Hal Lidner,'' he stated coolly. ''You must have noticed she listens to no one but herself. If she wants to go and have dinner with Miss Cabestan, I cannot do anything to prevent her from doing so.''

The black-haired man stared at the young detective, pondering what he just heard, before he admitted to himself the undeniable truth: Lidner was never on Near's side, nor was she on Mello's. She had always been on one only side: hers. She had always done what she thought was fair or what she thought should be done, not what she was told. If what she thought was righteous and necessary turned out to be the same thing as what she had been told, then whoever gave her the order should consider himself a lucky guy. Because the only orders she ever followed were hers and the only authority she was ever loyal to was hers. She was a free mind.

''I know,'' he nodded in agreement. ''But why would she do that? I mean, why would she want to have dinner with Elena Cabestan?''

The crouched boy on the floor looked up and stared at the older man before him. He tilted his head to the side, arching an eyebrow.

''I thought Miss Cabestan had made that clear already. When it comes to human emotions, I am completely at loss.''

''Yes...'' Gevanni replied hesitantly, not so sure about what the younger man was implying. ''So...''

L's blank voice cut him off abruptly.

''So yes, Gevanni. I have absolutely no clue about Lidner's intentions towards Miss Cabestan.''

 _...But I do hope she knows what she is doing._

* * *

''I don't know what your intentions are, but if you're trying to get me drunk to obtain informations out of me, I must warn you this is totally pointless,'' Elena Cabestan said in a neutral tone, raising an eyebrow at the woman before her.

She watched in silence as a crimson red liquid was slowly and delicately poured into her glass.

''You must know that thanks to my personal lifestyle and experience, I can perfectly hold alcohol.'' She reached out and took her glass in her thin hand. She sipped her red whine and smiled. ''So I can tell you're wasting your time, Hal.''

 _Damn you, Elena._ Hal Lidner gritted her teeth as she gestured to serve herself a glass of that same red whine.

She forced a smile on her pale face. ''That was not my intention, Elena,'' she replied smoothly. ''Believe me.''

Cabestan rested her glass on the table and resumed eating her meat. ''You know, if you want some informations, all you have to do is ask.''

The SPM agent hesitated for a while, staring at the golden-haired woman in front of her.

 _I know that, Elena. But how would I know if you're telling me the truth then...?_ She sighed. _Well, I suppose I have no choice but to try._ She looked down at her plate absently.

 _But she is so cautious... No, I can't ask her now. Not yet. I need to earn her trust first. For now, let's just talk about the case, just like two normal colleagues._

''I was wondering...'' She began as she shot a glance at the french lawyer. ''What is your theory about Mello's motivation?'' She stabbed her fish with her fork.

The criminologist glared at her, frowning. _I am sure that wasn't what you were meaning to ask, but that's fine. Whatever. I shall answer your question, Hal._

''Well, I must say this is not perfectly clear to me yet. I am afraid we don't have all the tools to answer this interrogation yet, partly because L doesn't want to provide them. And to solve this case, we, of course, need to understand Mello's motives, that's obvious...but what is less obvious is that we also need L's feelings about all this. Once we understand what L— or Near, or whatever he likes to call himself— wants, then we will be able to finally close this case.''

Lidner nodded slightly. ''Alright.'' She bent her head to the side as her eyes shone with curiosity. ''But how are we going to decipher L's intentions?''

Elena raised a hand to her chin. ''Hm...'' She looked at the ceiling, lost in thought. ''I am afraid you'll have to trust me on that. I'm only starting to understand how this infuriating boy's brain is working, and soon enough I'll be able to elaborate a plan to figure out what he's hiding deep inside his mind.'' She reported her attention on the blonde woman. ''But for now, let's work on the easiest part.''

She took another sip of her red mixture. ''I know you've been helping Mello during the Kira case, even though you weren't truly on his side, just like you weren't on L's either, but you must be aware of some things the others are not.'' Her hazel eyes locked with Lidner's icy blue orbs. ''I need you to tell me _everything_ you know about Mello.''

The older woman took a deep silent breath and started telling everything she could remember. During the rest of the dinner, Elena Cabestan listened to her carefully between sips of red whine and bites of beef. Finally, the law professor wiped her mouth off with her white towel and looked up at Hal, a mischievous smile tugging at her scarlet lips.

''So...Mello broke into your house in Tokyo while you were in the shower, he threatened you so you would lead him to Near, you tried to save time by seducing him, but he rejected your advances... Is that how it happened?'' She asked, falsely innocent.

''Yes,'' Hal agreed quietly, hesitant. Like always, she had no idea about what the younger woman might have in mind.

''Well,'' Elena spread out her arms in a gesture of respect, ''I must say I'm impressed.''

Lidner frowned deeply as she posed her fork on the table. ''Why?'' She raised her glass to her lips.

''Well, one must be really determined— or rather disturbed— to reject your advances...'' She paused, and then she added slyly. ''Even _I_ would have given in to you. And rather quickly, I must add...''

The blonde's eyes seemed to pop out of her head as she choked in her whine. She reached out to grab her towel and pressed it to her mouth. Her lungs only ached more as her desperate and shocked gaze crossed Elena's teasing one. She coughed even stronger as she was gasping for air.

 _Damn you, Elena. **Damn** you!_

Elena Cabestan chuckled lightly, her hungry eyes still locked with Lidner's. She took another sip of the expensive red whine she whorshipped and smiled in her glass.

 _I got you, Hal._

* * *

''L, they're back.'' Commandant Rester pointed at one of the many screens that displayed the camera images of the entrance hall.

''Very well.'' The detective was slouched on the floor, bent over a blank puzzle which was almost half-completed.

A few minutes later, the doors slid open and the two women entered the work room, chatting cheerfully, completely oblivious to the silence which reigned in the dark place.

''...I wouldn't say that if I were you,'' Lidner shook her head, looking slightly amused.

''Oh, but I don't care! I'm going to say it anyway,'' Elena fought back, lifting her chin defiantly.

''Elena, please don't...'' Hal warned her quietly, her voice suddenly low and threatening.

Cabestan let out a genuine laugh and, as she leant towards the older woman, forcing her to finally meet her gaze, she purred, ''You know, Hal, I am not Mello. And if I were to see you as you get out of the shower, wearing nothing but—''

To Lidner's relief, an awkward cough managed to shut the bold young woman's mouth.

''Miss Cabestan, please mind your manners.'' Near's cold voice cut her off.

Ignoring Hal's satisfied look, Elena faced the white figure on the floor and folded her arms on her chest. ''Says the boy who kidnaps people and orders criminals assassination,'' she spat. ''You must know, _L_ , Near or whatever you like to call yourself, that I take orders from no one, especially not from _you_. Then I will do whatever I please, whether you like it or not. You're not my father, _L_.'' She walked forward and stopped right in front of the crouched silhouette which didn't even raise its head.

''I am not one of your lackeys, L. You have no power over me. I am not a _thing_ you can use to solve your puzzle.''

Much to everyone's surprise, Near flinched at those words. He slowly looked up to glance at the french professor.

''Ah, finally I got a reaction from you,'' the golden-haired woman smirked. ''I knew you would react to this. I've been waiting for this for quite a long time already. And now, I finally got what I wanted.'' She kneeled before the white-haired boy and reached out to cup his pale chin in her hand.

''You're not as heartless as you pretend to be, L. If you were heartless, you wouldn't have flinched when I said those words to you. You wouldn't even have bothered to look at me. But you did.''

L stayed silent, his dark empty orbs staring right at Elena's hazel eyes. But their staring contest was soon interrupted by a hoarse and menacing voice.

''Elena Cabestan, I suggest you get away from L immediately,'' Rester ordered emotionlessly. ''What are you trying to prove?''

Without letting go of Near's chin, she turned her head to look at the impressing figure of the SPM member looming over her. At Rester's greatest puzzlement, she smiled at him.

''Aw, now the big and strong Commandant Rester is here to protect the poor little creature,'' she sneered. ''How touching.''

Lidner was glaring at her in awe, speechless.

 _Oh dear. How can that woman be so enticing and, the moment after, so cruel?_

As she expected, she got no answer from Rester, so she returned her attention to the young detective.

''To answer your interrogation, Rester, I am currently proving that the world's greatest detective is just human, and as any other human, he can show emotions. And for proof, he just did.'' She squeezed her eyes slightly, observing the blank face before her.

''Mello told you this sentence one year ago. He accused you of using him to reach your goal, to catch Kira. Back then, you didn't flinch, of course. But now, when I told you these exact same words, your body, if not your mind, did react. Why?'' The law professor muttered as if for herself.

As she was only rewarded by a deafening silence, she sighed deeply. She withdrew her hand and stood up carefully, without looking away from the crouched young man on the floor.

''Because,'' she answered her own question in a firm voice, ''at that very instant, I reminded you of _him_. More than that, I reminded you of _him_ as he aimed a gun at you because he thought you were using him. I reminded you of _him_ as he walked away from you that day. I reminded you of _him_ as you learnt about his death. Yes, _L_. With only twelve words, I reminded you of the last time you saw your dear Mello.'' She paused, her bright hazel eyes gleaming with solemnity. ''And _that_ caused you to flinch.''

All the eyes were now set upon the white-haired man on the floor whose bottomless eyes were still locked with Elena's light brown ones. Very slowly, he looked down and added a piece in his blank puzzle.

''Miss Cabestan,'' Gevanni broke the unsettling silence, ''I'm sorry but...what is your point, exactly?''

''My point, Gevanni,'' the french woman rotated on her heels to face the black-haired man, ''is that no matter how great L is at hiding his emotions, they're still there, deep inside. He just doesn't feel them nor express them as the average person does. It's as if he were speaking a different language than ours. Just like the japanese man cannot understand the indian man, we can't understand him because he feels differently than us.'' She glanced at L above her shoulder. ''No one would have suspected it, but I did.''

Rester, Gevanni and Lidner exchanged some questioning glares which then were all directed back at their original target, Elena Cabestan. The criminologist's red lips pursed into a confident smile as she stared at the snow-haired boy below her.

''Believe it or not, but L _cares_.''

* * *

''Miss Cabestan.'' L's cool voice echoed in the darkness of the work room.

All the team had packed up for the night and returned to their respective apartments, except from the young detective and the french criminologist who seemed to share the same insomnia issues as the white-haired boy. Not matter how many times Lidner called her and urged her to get some sleep, she would always answer, ''thank you for your concern, Blondie, but I am not tired at all.'' To which the older woman would always reply with a concealed growl.

But the truth was the only thing that could prevent her from sleeping was when she had something in mind. Something that was disturbing her thoughts. Something she needed to study. Something she needed to figure out. So there was the question now: what was that thing that wouldn't let her sleep in peace?

To answer that question, she thought spending the beginning of the night with the most silent and mysterious being around was perhaps the greatest idea. The fact that this infuriating thing was probably linked to that white genius was another reason of her willing sleep deprivation.

''Yes?'' She spun her chair around to face him.

''When we talked about the Kira situation yesterday, you affirmed I had no emotions,'' the young man said blankly as he took his now completed puzzle box in both of his hands. ''Yet you said to the entire task force earlier that I do have emotions.'' He slowly raised his puzzle box in the air, until it reached his eye-level. ''Which leads me to think, whether it was yesterday or two hours ago, that in fact...'' He twisted his thin wrists, causing the box to bend over. All the puzzle pieces fell from the box, breaking off, and hit the ground with a loud crash.

''You lied.''

Gradually, a tiny smile graced the law professor's lips. She reached up and clapped her hands in a very slow and ironic gesture.

''Congratulations, L. You guessed I was lying because I was contradicting myself. Wow, I'm impressed. No wonder you are the world's greatest detective.''

''I must say I do not appreciate your sense of humor, Miss Cabestan,'' L responded coldly.

''Don't worry,'' Elena chuckled darkly. ''No one does. You know, lawyers' humor...'' She waved a dismissive hand.

Near looked up to meet her gaze. ''Will you please tell me when exactly you were lying, Miss Cabestan?''

Elena leant back on her wheeled chair, rolling her eyes. ''Fine! I lied yesterday when I said you had no feelings. Happy?''

''Why?'' He asked neutrally, arching an eyebrow.

''You are not the only one who tests people, L.''

''I see.''

The white-haired boy lowered his eyes. He stretched his arms, collecting all the blank puzzle pieces he just dropped to the ground to form a small pile before him.

 _Very well, Elena Cabestan. If you think that I have emotions, then it must mean that I actually do._

* * *

''L?''

A golden head appeared above the back of a wheel chair. A white head raised slowly so that dark endless orbs met glowing brown eyes.

''What is it, Miss Cabestan?''

''You know, it's been five hours since Lidner and the others have left to their flat. It's nearly four in the morning, and still I can't find sleep.''

''Yes, I suppose that would explain your presence here.'' The detective stated blandly as he added the last piece to his puzzle which he had made and unmade three times in this night.

''Right.'' Elena sighed deeply. ''You know, when I can't sleep, there is always a reason. Most of the time, it's a tiny detail which I am not aware of. I can't put my finger on it, and that's what prevents me from sleeping. Until now, I couldn't say what was disturbing me tonight, but now I think I know.''

''And what is it that is disturbing you, Miss Cabestan?'' Near asked emotionlessly.

''Mello's noise.''

''What?'' He blinked at her.

''Yeah, the ' _croc_ ' sound which always occured as he finished a sentence. I don't know what that sound was, but I just figured it was the tiny detail, probably irrelevant though, which was causing my current insomnia.''

At the woman's greatest surprise, an imperceptible smile crept on the young boy's pale lips.

''Mello has an obsessive and unhealthy intake of chocolate. He doesn't cut the bars with his fingers...'' Near reached up to twirl a strand of hair around his finger, and then added quietly. ''He uses his _teeth_.'' He emphasised this last word with an odd husky tone in his voice.

The french woman smacked her forehead in exasperation. ''And that explains the ' _croc_ ', obviously.'' She groaned as she stood up and headed towards the exit, passing by L. ''God, I'm tired.''

Near couldn't surpress a grin which remained hidden behind his messy white locks.

''Goodnight, Miss Cabestan.''

As if to confirm his statement, the criminologist yawned loudly. She pushed the button, allowing the two door wings to open.

''Goodnight, L.''

* * *

The next morning, Hal Lidner was looking into the rear-view mirror, watching thoughtfully the pale face, surrounded by a halo of golden curls, which was focused on the window, red scarlet lips squeezed shut and eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Elena Cabestan hadn't said a word this morning, from the moment she opened her door to Gevanni and the former C.I.A. agent, until now, in the black car of the SPM which was meant to lead them to the second crime scene.

''Is she okay?'' Gevanni muttered, bending his head towards the blonde woman who was sitting in the passenger seat at his right.

''I have no idea.'' Lidner replied quietly.

A quick crackle echoed in their ears. The two SPM members winced at the same time. Lidner shot a glance at the french woman sitting in the back seat. She didn't even flinch.

Then a very familiar voice spoke in their earpiece. Apparently, its owner had noticed the professor's muteness too.

 _ **[Miss Cabestan? Is everything alright?]**_

Cabestan's face remained perfectly blank, her voice was empty and cold as she answered. ''I am fine, L. _Perfectly fine_.''

Hal and Gevanni exchanged a worried look. 'Where was the dynamic, sassy and joyful Miss Elena Cabestan?' Their eyes seemed to wonder at the same time.

 _At least, she spoke to L. Also, he had been the only one who dared breaking her dead silence until now._

The blonde woman sighed as she get out of the car and opened the car back door to let the lawyer put a foot outside, which Elena did, not looking up at Lidner once.

Hal frowned deeply as she followed her colleagues inside the small house which held the second murder scene. The murder of the young nine year old girl Nora Mooney.

Once inside the tiny bedroom, Gevanni and she didn't wait to seek for anything that could be directly or indirectly linked to Mello, or even better, a clue that could lead straight to him. Material and scientific clue, that is, for the psychological ones were Cabestan's domain.

 _Speaking of the devil..._ She thought as she glanced above her shoulder.

Elena was standing in the middle of the room, her eyes fixed on a grey robot toy which was tightly pressed in her thin hands. Her red lips slowly parted as she let escape a hoarse and dry sound.

''L, I am waiting for your explanation.'' She called simply.

A deep and yet light sigh made itself heard in their headset.

 _ **[Very well. Now please listen carefully, Miss Cabestan...]**_

* * *

 **Thirteen years ago: Wammy's House**

''What the hell is that thing?!'' A blonde nine year old child yelled, pointing at a little grey toy lying on the floor of the common room.

''Don't know,'' his best friend answered absently, his goggled eyes staring at the gameboy in his hands.

Mello clenched his fists and grabbed the small grey figure sharply. ''That stupid albino must have left it here,'' he spat, observing the robot closely.

''Maybe you should give it back to him,'' Matt suggested.

Mello turned around abruptly. ''Give it back to him?! No way! He left it here! If he wants it back, then he'll have to come and get it!'' He blustered as he threw the toy on the ground.

''Yeah, but he must have forgotten it. He probably doesn't know it's here. So maybe you could give it back to him before Gary and his band bursts in and destroy—''

''Matt,'' his friend cut him off. ''Near never forgets _anything_. He simply doesn't. He's like that, right?''

''Yeah, but maybe this time he—''

''Nonsense! This kid isn't human, he—'' His gaze met the disregarded object on the floor. ''He's just like this damn thing!'' He shouted, designating the toy with his chin. ''He's a robot! He never forgets a thing, he never fails, he never— He has no flaws! He knows everything, he plans everything! He has no feelings! He's a machine! He's just so...so...'' He sputtered, suddenly at loss of words.

''So what?''

''So...'' He repeated quietly, still unable to find the suitable word.

 _So perfect._ His mind completed his sentence for him. He shook his head in anger.

''Fuck! I don't care, Matt!'' Mello bursted out. He reached down and grasped the robot toy in his tiny hands. He left the common room, growling some unintelligible words.

Matt watched the blonde boy leave in awe. He simply shrugged his shoulders and focused back on his video game.

Mello arrived in front of the white door behind which was hiding the insufferable younger boy. He sighed and opened the door violently, without even bothering to knock.

''Near.'' He began as he spotted a white silhouette crouched on the ground in the middle of the room, turning its back on him.

''Mello.'' The silhouette replied without hesitation.

Without another word, Mello tossed the robot toy towards the other child. It landed right next to Near who tilted his head to the side. Then he stretched an arm and grabbed the toy, brought it to his eyes, examining it from every angle.

''Thank you, Mello.'' Near murmured. ''I didn't know where I had left it. I was about to go and search for it just now.''

''Oh come on, Near!'' Mello exploded. ''Don't play dumb with me! I know you never forget a thing.''

''That is true,'' came the blank response. ''Nonetheless...''

''Don't tire yourself, Near.'' The blonde boy snapped angrily. ''I know you left it on purpose, you never make mistake. I don't know why you did it, but now you got your toy, so just...leave me alone.''

He intended to go back from where he arrived when a soft low voice interrupted his thought.

''Does Mello think I left it there in order for him to take it and bring it back to me?''

''I don't care, Near! I don't care about your twisted little plans, okay? Whatever you were planning to do with that fucking robot, I don't care! I just know you didn't _forget_ it. It's impossible.''

Suddenly, the crouched figure rotated on his knees to face its visitor. It raised its head slowly, its dark endless orbs meeting Mello's blue ones.

''Why is that?'' Near asked, blinking at him as if he just heard the most absurd thing ever.

''Because you are just like your toy!'' Mello yelled at him, gesturing towards the robot the other boy was now pressing to his chest. ''You're like a program, a machine! You have no flaws! You have no feels, no emotions! You're a robot!''

Unexpectedly, Near didn't fight back. Instead, he rose to his feet and walked towards his rival. Slowly. _Very_ slowly. He reached up and held out the robot towards Mello who could do nothing but stare at him in puzzlement.

''What?'' The older child asked coldly.

''It's broken.'' Near stated as he looked emotionlessly at the toy's arm which had been almost ripped off and was dropping limply against the robot's chest.

Mello followed his dark gaze, swallowing hardly. Then he got a hold on himself and attacked. ''Yeah, well you can repair it for all I care.''

''Indeed.'' The white-haired boy merely nodded. ''That is not an issue.''

''Then what is it?!'' Mello spread his arms, palms out in a gesture of impatience.

''A robot can be fixed,'' Near whispered quietly as his bottomless eyes met Mello's. ''A human cannot.'' He placed the robot in his rival's hands gently. ''Keep it.'' His tiny pale hands were still wrapped around Mello's bigger ones. But none of them made a move to separate them.

''W-What?'' The blonde widened his eyes in shock. ''Why the hell would I keep it?!''

''You will give it back to me when you understand.'' The odd child said even more quietly, ignoring his question.

''Understand...what?''

''That this robot can indeed be repaired.'' Eventually, Near lowered his gaze and withrew his hands. Instantly, Mello felt his hands turn cold, as if they were gradually drained of their living essence. Strangely, he found his body missing the warmth radiating from the younger boy's soft skin.

Near turned away and headed towards where he belonged, in the midde of the room where a carpet of cars, trains and planes toys lay.

''I, on the other hand, am human,'' the deep voice muttered almost sadly. ''And consequently, I cannot be repaired.''

Mello stood there motionless, watching in a bewildered silence as the white figure slowly leant down to settle on the floor. His eyes could not tear themselves off of Near's slender silhouette. His mouth could not pronounce a single word. His arms could not perform the slightest gesture.

He finally understood his whole body was shaking as he realized he had never been as lucid as he was at this very moment.

And he could do nothing but shudder miserably as a victorious yet painful thought strucked him.

 _I hurt him. But if he can hurt...that means he can feel, right?_

* * *

Elena Cabestan looked down at the toy she was still holding firmly in her hands. A melancholic smile appeared on her red full lips.

 _Keep it. You will give it back to me when you understand._

 _Robots can be repaired. Humans, on the other hand, cannot._

''L.'' She called hesitantly. ''He dit it.''

 _ **[What did Mello do, Miss Cabestan?]**_

''He did it.'' Her voice was suddenly filled with joy and relief as she continued. ''He understood.''

 _ **[Could you please speak more distinctly and explain your thoughts in plain and intelligible language, Miss Cabestan?]** _ Annoyance was subtly hidden in L's demanding voice. But Elena Cabestan was not one to be fooled. She chuckled lightly.

''He understood that robots can be fixed while humans can't.''

 _ **[May I know what leads you to that conclusion?]**_

''The proof is here, in my hands, L.'' She fondled the grey robot in her hands. ''He fixed the robot, and he gave it back to you.''

A thick silence took over the room as well as the agents' headset. Then a small crackle disturbed their ears once again, causing the three SPM members to groan in unison.

 _ **[I see.]**_ The young detective replied in his usual void tone. **_[And what is the meaning of that gesture according to you?]_**

''Well, it is quite obvious to me,'' Cabestan announced confidently. ''Like the former message he delivered you through the toy, he is simply taking what you once told him into account and throwing back those informations at you.'' She spun the grey figure in her hands just like she had done with the doll the day before.

''What he meant by using this robot is clear. He understood what you told him thirteen years ago and now he wants you to do the same. He fixed your toy because he knows he couldn't fix you. Because he finally understood you were just human. But...'' She frowned, looking at the floor where the victim had been found dead.

''But what?'' Lidner urged her.

''But...there is more than that. The victim was holding the toy to her heart. The victim's initials were N.M. So the victim's first name is straightly targetting _you_ , L.''

''Cabestan, please, you're not making any sense—'' Gevanni interfered out of confusion.

 _ **[Gevanni.]**_ The black-haired man froze at the sound of his name. ** _[Please let Miss Cabestan speak her mind. I am sure everything will appear more clear to you in a few minutes.]_**

''Thank you, L.'' Elena shot a defiant glance towards the poor man. ''So, uh, what was I saying...? Ah, yes!'' She snapped her fingers.

''So if we assume the victim is representing you, L,'' she rested her hand on her chin, ''then everything takes on an entirely different meaning. A deeper meaning, to be precise.''

''Which is?'' Hal arched an eyebrow, folding her arms on her chest.

Elena glared at her over her shoulder. ''Mello understood you are not a robot, L. You are human. As a consequence, you have a heart. And, just like he fixed the robot...'' As if to illustrate her point, she pressed the robot to her heart. ''By placing the toy on the victim's heart— symbolizing _your_ heart— he is making a promise to _you_ , L.''

 _ **[What might be the content of Mello's promise to me?]**_ Near asked neutrally.

''He is promising you that, just as he fixed the robot...'' She paused, smiling at herself.

''He will fix your heart.''

She met Lidner's gaze which was a balanced combination of respect and acknowledgement.

On the other end of the line, there was nothing but a deafening silence.

''Near?'' Gevanni's worried voice echoed in both the bedroom and their earpiece.

Nothing.

Elena smirked.

''Near? Are you okay?'' He tried again, his voice now shaken with concern.

Still nothing.

Elena's smile grew only wider.

 _What is it, L? Did you forget you are only human? Did you forget you actually have a heart? Did you really need Mello to remind you of that tiny detail?_

 _In fact, yes. You did._

 _Perhaps Mello is right, after all. Near does have a heart, but it must have been crushed more than once._

She pursed her lips, furrowing her eyebrows in determination.

 _Mello, if you can hear me, please do it._

 _I heard you're a man of your word. Then keep your promise._

She stared at the newly repaired robot and ran her fingers on its small body. She held it at her chest as she exited the crime scene without a word.

 _ **[…]**_

An imperceptible crackle informed her the world's greatest detective had just cut the communication. But this time, she didn't startle, for she had expected it.

 _Mello._

 _Do it._

 _Fix Near's heart._

 _I can't say why but...I know it._

 _Only you can do this._

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 **Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it!**

For those who are wondering about **Mello** ,  
I promise you he will soon make an appearance. I won't say how nor where, but I can already tell you without spoiling you that something will happen after Elena and the SPM visit the third murder scene. So **Mello will come in a few chapters** , something like in 2 or 3 chapters. So please be patient! After all, **it's a MelloxNear fanfic** , so if Mello is not even present, there is no point in it! xD

So don't worry about that anymore. I assure you the plot will speed up soon.

 **Question:** Do you like **HalxElena** (Halena? Elenhal? I don't know how to call them) relationship? I must admit I have a lot of fun writing their exchanges, so I hope you like reading them as much as I like writing them!

 **P.S.** This chapter has introduced **Matt**. I know many of the DN fandom like him. Even if I don't especially like him, I think he's an interesting character, and that's why **he will have a role in that story**. Well, you shall see!

 **Actually, when I see I got very few reviews, I wonder if that story is worth it and if I should really continue it. Well, I'll just wait for your feedbacks...**

 **Please keep reading and leave a review, that would help me greatly!**

 _ **C.**_


	8. Childish

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 8: Childish**

* * *

 **SPM headquarters, working room, 1:46am.**

''Are you not in the least tired, Miss Cabestan?''

Once again, everyone had left for the night, except from the two geniuses who chose stubbornly to stay working in the headquarters— as if being clever automatically implied insomnia— and keep each other company, a very quiet company which seemed to suit the both of them just perfectly.

Elena Cabestan finally tore her eyes off the computer screen to glance over her shoulder.

''Hm?''

''If you wish to get some rest, please feel free to retire,'' L offered in his usual deadpan voice. ''I do not want to keep you awake against your will. I am perfectly aware that a constant sleep deprivation lowers the reasoning skills by about thirty percent.''

''Thirty percent, hm?'' She repeated teasingly. ''I would say much more,'' she snorted. ''Well, thank you for your concern, but I am absolutely not tired.''

''Alright.''

''By the way, I was wondering...'' She quirked an eyebrow. ''Does playing with your toys actually help you think? Or are you just doing that out of boredom, or because you can't think of anything else to do to keep your hands busy?''

''I suppose the three of your assumptions could all be considered as valid.'' Near replied plainly as he raised a small plane toy at his eye-level, simulating its take-off with a swift gesture of his pale hands.

''I see...'' Cabestan rested a hand on her chin as she pondered. Eventually she walked towards the young detective and his homemade playground.

She bent over, then asked hesitantly, ''Can I...?'' She gestured towards the vacant place in front of the white boy.

''Of course,'' came his neutral answer. He didn't even bother to look up at the lawyer as she settled down on the ground, folding her legs under her, and reached out to take a small black car toy in her hands. She examined it closely before placing it back on the floor and pushing it slightly with a delicate finger, causing the device to progress slowly towards a group of trucks.

''Maybe you're right,'' she said quietly, her gaze set on the little car she was moving thoroughfully. ''Maybe it helps thinking after all.''

Near stayed silent, but his bloodless lips pursed into a tiny smirk which didn't escape the older woman's attention. Cabestan smiled at the white-haired boy. She let go of the tiny car and sighed.

''L, you need to give Mello what he wants.''

The world's greatest detective lifted his head, his dark empty orbs meeting Elena's hazel eyes.

''What does Mello want?''

''You know what he wants...'' She shook her head, smiling sadly. ''He wants to win.'' She gazed at the small man in front of her who was still playing with his plane, as if they weren't talking about a murderer. She rolled her eyes and stretched an hand, capturing the plane in her firm fingers and taking it away from Near. He glared at her, speechless, blinking in puzzlement.

''Listen,'' she began, her voice softer, ''I know you're proud and determined. I know it's been hard for you to ask for help and accept that you couldn't solve this case on your own. I know you like to play mind games. You spent your whole life playing. During your childhood, you played with toys— well, you still do but...anyway, that's another story.'' She waved a dismissive hand. ''When you grew up, you started playing another sort of games with Mello. You kept playing with Kira. You even played with me at first! And now, it's Mello again. Mello...always and forever. But now...'' She leant forward.

''This is not a game anymore, L. It wasn't during the Kira case either, but you didn't seem to realize back then. But now you have to, before it's too late. This is about children's lives. Every second, every minute you spend enjoying your battle of wits with Mello, a child dies.''

She pulled Near's hand down sharply as he was about to grab another toy to play with.

''You're right though. This is only about you and him. Unfortunately, even if this is about you and him, other people are involved. All those kids, Gevanni, Rester, Lidner, myself...we are all involved, L. You can't forget that.''

A strange and frightening glow inhabited her brown eyes as she continued. ''This is a dangerous game you're playing, L. Not only because of all those people involved, but because it also involves something very precious and fragile...''

L tilted his head to the side in a silent question.

''Your heart, L.'' She answered his quiet interrogation. ''I know you're probably not aware of the fact that you have one, but trust me, you do. That is the reason why you need to stop all of this as soon as possible. Before another kid is killed, before one of your men is killed, before Mello loses definitely his mind— assuming he didn't already— but most of all, before your heart is crushed again.''

Elena reached up and grasped Near's pale fingers, preventing him from resuming his games with his planes, trucks and boats once again.

''Sometimes, winning is not keeping figthing until the other is vainquished...'' The french woman explained quietly, looking down. ''Sometimes winning is giving up.'' She looked up, her bright eyes locking with L's unreadable ones.

''L... _Near_...you need to give in to Mello.'' She voiced in a weary sigh as she let go of his hand.

The detective remained silent, staring at the floor, for so long that the professor came to think he was never going to reply.

''No,'' he said at last, his voice cold and devoid of all emotion.

''But—''

''Giving up now would be pointless,'' he declared calmly, ''Mello proved that he wasn't stopping anything until one of us wins.''

''Yeah, that was the idea,'' Elena snapped. ''If he doesn't want to stop until he or you win, then all you have to do is call him and say ''hey Mello, what's up? I hope you're not slitting another kid's throat right now because I give up. It's okay, you won. Now how about you come here and we have a little chat over a cup of tea and biscuits?'' And everything will be finally over!''

''You don't understand, Miss Cabestan.''

''Fine!'' She spread her arms in defeat. ''Then explain me.''

''Mello wants to fight until the end, and he wants to win. If I choose to forfeit, then his victory will not be worthwhile anymore. If I refuse to fight, he will simply consider that I am not his equal but a wretched coward.''

''Well, maybe...'' The criminologist shrugged nonchalantly. ''But don't you think that being called a coward is worth it if you manage to stop the murders once and for all?''

''No, I don't think so.'' Near reached down to grab a small boat. This time, the lawyer didn't prevent him from doing so and just watched as he resumed his childish games, powerless.

''If I give up now, I will accomplish nothing other than provoking Mello's anger. Then he will start killing more and more children until the number of victims is so important that it will inexorably draw the government's attention, which will require my assistance in solving that case. This time, I will collaborate with the New York City Police Department in a formal manner. Thus, I can't afford to fail in my responsibilities.''

''I understand. After all, you probably are the person who knows him best here.'' Elena slid a golden curl behind her ear. ''Well, then I guess we should try to find the next victim with all the clues we have. Before he does, that is.'' She rose from her improvised seat and headed towards her computer.

''I suppose, yes,'' L muttered, his gaze firmly cast on the small red boat.

''So,'' the professor began cheerfully as she sat back in front of the slouched boy, a stack of paper in her hands. ''If we consider the alternation of the genders, the increasing age, the victims' initials and the choice of the social class, I bet we can at least narrow the scope of the potential victims, right?''

''Indeed.'' Near nodded solemnly. ''Considering Mello's modus operandi, we can safely assume that the next victim shall be a thirteen year old girl whose first name starts with an N and last name starts with an M, and who probably lives in a comfortable house.''

''Exactly,'' Cabestan agreed, raising a finger in the air as her gaze was plunged in the sheets. ''But...there is something else.''

''Which is?''

''The district. It's directly linked to the social class, of course, because some districts are populated with more wealthy people than others, but that's not all...''

''Then what else is there?'' L asked, looking up at his co-worker who finally managed to catch his attention.

''Well, it's quite obvious, actually.'' She set the sheet she was holding between two trucks and the boat L was currently playing with. ''Here, take a look at this.'' Near gazed down at the sheet which revealed to be a map. The map represented New York City and showed several red crosses at different locations. Three, to be exact.

L frowned slightly. ''The murder scenes, I presume.''

''Yep,'' Elena replied lightly before she put her finger on a red circle. ''Look. The SPM headquarters are here, represented by the circle, and the murder places are all represented by a cross. The headquarters building is in Manhattan, near Central Park— I am sure of that because its tree are the last thing I see before I fall asleep everynight, but whatever. The first murder occurred in the South Bronx, the second one in North Brooklyn and the third one in the West Queens. If we were to relate the three places with a circle arc...''

The golden-haired woman fetched a red pen and draw a circle on the map, linking the three red crosses.

''Then the center of the circle would be situated approximately...''

''Next to Central Park.'' Near supplied as he stared at the map blankly. ''At the SPM headquarters.''

''Hm-hm.'' Cabestan raised a hand to her chin, lost in thought.

''To sum up, the next victim will be a thirteen year old girl who has N.M. as initials, who lives in another district than the Bronx, the Queens and Brooklyn, and whose home is situated somewhere on this imaginary circle.'' The white-haired man stated as he reached up to twirl a white lock around his index finger.

''Hm-hm,'' was the french woman's weak answer as she suppressed a powerful yawn.

Near raised his head, allowing his dark eyes to lock with Elena's tired ones. A small grin distorted his blank features.

''It seems you have finally managed to solve the mystery which was preventing you from sleeping,'' he said almost pleasantly. ''Now you should leave and get some sleep, Miss Cabestan.''

The lawyer stood up carefully and smiled warmly at the detective. ''You're right. Goodnight, L.''

''Goodnight, Miss Cabestan.''

A few seconds later, the criminologist had vanished into the darkness of the room. The young male looked down at his toys absently while his mind wandered far, far away.

 _I am getting closer and closer to you, Mello..._

* * *

She slid the key into the electronic lock and pushed the wooden door carefully. She tiptoed towards the bed very slowly and when she spotted some golden curls sprawled all over the pillow and a naked shoulder emerging from the white sheets, she couldn't restrain the smile that tugged at her thin lips.

She leant forward and placed a hesitant hand on the smooth bare skin which twitched slightly at the contact. She shook the shoulder gently.

''Elena.'' She whispered into the woman's ear. ''Elena, please wake up.''

She gazed down at her own pale hand resting on the soft tanned skin and she decided she better try another technique. She slowly slid her hand at the crook of the lawyer's neck and stroked down the bright skin of her shoulder.

''Hm...'' The french woman seemed to fidget in her sleep, groaning— with pleasure or annoyance, no one could tell.

She remembered one of her C.I.A. colleagues once told her that the most violent moves were often not the most disturbing ones. So she figured she should apply that theory to her attempts at waking that damn sleeping beauty.

 _Wait...what?_ _Sleeping beauty?_ She shook her head. _Nevermind._

She caressed the skin at the back of Elena's neck and slowly started her descent in her back...

Suddenly, the criminologist jolted awake and sat up abruptly, facing the cause of her troubled awakening.

''What the hell, Lidner?!'' She burst out in a husky, sleepy voice. ''What do you think you're doing?!'' She moved away from the blonde, covering herself with the bed sheets, glaring at the SPM member with pure rage.

Hal Lidner sighed. ''You didn't react when I shook you, so I just tried another technique, that is all.'' She straightened up, folding her arms on her chest. ''I am sorry if I startled you, but there is an emergency.''

Cabestan seemed to relax at those words, even though an emergency wasn't supposed to have that effet on average people, but again, she was not an average person. She arched an eyebrow.

''What does L want?''

''Well, in fact, it is not L who requires your presence this time...''

Elena frowned in confusion. ''Then...who does?''

''Mello.'' Lidner answered neutrally, as if it was perfectly logical that a serial children killer would require the presence of a criminologist while plotting his next assassination.

''Mello is calling for you, Elena. And L sent me to wake you up.''

The professor stared at her for a while before she turned her head towards the large bay window. New York City was still plunged into an agitated and yet soothing darkness. She growled as she brought her legs to her chest and burried her head in her knees.

''What time is it?'' She spoke in a muffled sound without bothering to raise her head.

''5:32am.''

''Ah!'' Elena whined as she looked up at the ceiling. Then she threw the sheets away and stood up in a sharp and obviously peeved motion. ''Very well,'' she spat as she went towards her closet, rummaging into the shelves.

Lidner could not tear her eyes off the graceful silhouette of the younger woman as she stood before her, in nothing more than a thin and silk black nightgown. She was interrupted in her observation by a cutting, harsh voice.

''Like what you see?'' Cabestan was smirking deviously, even though her tone was nothing but cool and hard like steel.

Hal was forced to look down as she felt ashamed of her behavior. She didn't even find a suitable reply to Elena's attack and she thought that she should probably better stay silent.

''Tell the two assholes that I'm coming in approximately seven minutes,'' the golden-haired woman said dryly. ''And if they can't wait, well...they can go fuck themselves. At least, that will ease their repressed sexual frustration, and they'll leave all of us in peace for a change.''

Lidner simply glanced at her in awe, before she managed to nod her head. She left the lawyer's apartment in silence.

Once in the lift, she rubbed her temples in a weary gesture.

 _What is wrong with her?_

 _No._

 _What is wrong with **me**?_

* * *

 **SPM headquarters, working room, 5:27 am.**

The ring echoed in the dark. Near slowly looked up from his little robot toys to look at the blank screens which were all displaying the same dark gothic letter.

 _ **M**_

His face was as steady as ever and his bottomless eyes as empty as ever, but that shining gleam hidden in the depths of those black orbs was something quite new and unusual to see in L's gaze.

At such an early time, he was alone in the investigation room, therefore he had no choice but to stand up and walk towards the desk to answer the call himself. He sat in one wheel chair in front of a computer— Cabestan's, he believed— and pressed the knob with one pale finger, bending one knee to his chest and resting his feet on the seat. His mouth approached the microphone as he spoke.

''Mello.''

''Near.''

L wondered why they couldn't seem to resign themselves to greet each other by a common 'hello' or 'good morning' or something more conventional and natural than just stating each other names like a call, a mantra, a curse, or...a _prayer_. Near frowned at that thought.

''Why did Mello call?'' He asked straightly, not willing to waste his time with the blonde's twisted games anymore.

''I just wanted to hear about the progress you made with your dear faithful task force,'' came Mello's falsely innocent answer.

Near sighed at the obviously mocking response. ''I must remind Mello that it is unecessary to lie to me.''

The other boy laughed out loud. It was a hoarse and dull sound, but at least it was human.

''Coming from you, it almost looks like a sick joke.''

''Perhaps.'' L admitted flatly. ''By the way, since Mello bothered to call, there is something I need to tell him.''

''I'm listening.''

Pause.

Near looked down and grabbed a tiny grey robot in his fragile hands. He pressed it to his chest— to his _heart_ — as an imperceptible grin crept on his face.

''I retrieved your gift,'' he declared quietly, his index finger raising to whirl a white lock of hair. ''Thank you, Mello.''

A short pause on his rival's side, then a murmur. ''So you understood.'' It was an assertion, nonetheless insecurity and hesitation could be discerned in those three words.

Suddenly, Elena Cabestan's analysis was swirling and dancing inside the young detective's head.

 _He is making a promise to you, L... He will fix your heart._

''Yes,'' Near muttered. ''And so did you.''

 _You are not a robot. You are human._

''Yes,'' Mello whispered back quietly.

The two former Wammy's House top best students both fell silent as the same exact conclusion arose in their genius minds.

 _We understand each other._

 _For the first time in forever, Near understands Mello._

 _For the first time in fifteen years, Mello understands Near._

''Took you a long time, right?'' The older man snorted, breaking the silence. ''And I bet you didn't even figure it out on your own. What a shame! L, the world's greatest detective, unable to understand such basic notions as emotion...''

''Everyone is doomed to face notions that they cannot fathom one day or another.'' Near replied emotionlessly.

''Well, seems it doesn't apply to me,'' Mello sneered.

''Of course it does.'' Near eventually disposed of the robot and placed it in front of him on the desk. ''There is at least one matter that you cannot fully understand.''

''Which is...?'' Concealed anger and irritation were not so subtly hidden in his menacing tone.

''Me.''

Silence.

A growl escaped from the loudspeakers, then a shaking voice.

''You can't understand me either,'' the raspy voice grumbled.

''That is true,'' the soft voice retorted.

''Then that makes us equals.''

''I suppose.''

''But you're trying to understand me...''

''Indeed.''

''But you can't do it yourself...''

''I am afraid I can't.''

''So you asked for help...to understand me.''

''Yes, I did.''

''Elena Cabestan is helping you to understand me.''

''That is correct.''

Pause.

''You're a cheater, Near!'' Mello's shout echoed in the young detective's ears, even though he did not flinch. ''You have always been a cheater! You pretend you're better than me, but you're not. You're always lying, manipulating, cheating... This isn't a fair fight. Because if it was, you'd lose!''

''I fail to see how asking for help would be considered as cheating. After all, no one is preventing you from asking for help as well. Didn't L work with the FBI agent Naomi Misora during the Los Angeles B.B. Murder Case? Didn't he work with Kira himself while trying to bring him down?''

''That's not the same and you know it! I am not B, Elena Cabestan is not Naomi Misora, she isn't Kira, neither am I, and you are not L, even though you're using his codename...''

''Fair enough.'' Near agreed, his voice perfectly neutral. ''However, you must admit the similarities are quite unsettling to say the least. B and M. N and L. Kira and Cabestan. I suppose Miss Cabestan was right after all. History is meant to repeat itself. It is constantly mocking us, isn't it?''

''Bullshit, Near!'' Mello spat as he would spat some venom in order to poison his nemesis. ''You know this is more complicated than that!''

''Of course it is.'' L confirmed in a deadpan voice.

''Nonetheless, you are the one who ensured that history repeats itself. Just like Beyond Birthday, you wanted to beat L. Just like B, you became a serial killer to do so. Just like L, I required assistance to solve this case. Just like Naomi Misora, Elena Cabestan offered me her help. And just like L and Misora, Miss Cabestan and I are going to arrest you, Mello. I will win, just like L did. Maybe Cabestan will be the one who catches you, but in the end, I will be the true winner. And you know it. So why? What is this all about, Mello?''

''You know very well what this is about, _Near_ ,'' a throaty groan made itself heard on the other end of the line.

''No, I don't, _Mello_. But perhaps you would be kind enough to enlighten me...?''

''No way! You're the world's greatest detective, the only one worthy of L's name, right?!''

''Well, yes, but—''

''Then fucking figure it out yourself! Or ask your slave lawyer to do it for you, for all I care! And where is that damned woman anyway? Isn't she spending all her nights with you trying to understand that insane brain of mine?!''

''No, she isn't. Miss Cabestan is currently resting in her flat,'' Near explained plainly as he simply stared at his small toy robot.

''I don't care! Call her!'' Mello's anger exploded in the loudspeakers once again and Near barely looked up at the screen which still showed the thick dark _**M**_.

''Why would I do that, Mello?'' L asked casually, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

''She's the only one who can understand the both of us, right?''

''I suppose she is.''

''I wanna talk to her. Call her, Near, or I'll do it myself,'' Mello said harshly, his voice low and husky. ''You know I have hacked into your security system, right?''

''Yes.''

''Then I'm sure your little protégée wouldn't be so pleased if I were to wake her up using the micro you put in her luxurious apartment without her consent... You would have a hell of an argument, she would want to sue you— you know, laywers' fixations, always trying to rely on Justice— and I doubt she would be willing to help you anymore... How are you gonna solve that case without her, uh? Without her precious psychology and emotions science that lead all her reasoning and that you completely _lack_.'' His enemy scolded, emphasizing this last word as if to dig a knife right into Near's heart, but the latter didn't seem to feel the blade thrusting into his flesh.

''So? What are you gonna do, L, uh?''

A long pause occurred, after what the white-haired detective finally gave in, letting out a weary sigh.

''Very well, Mello. I shall call Miss Cabestan immediately.''

A dark chuckle was the only response he got as he reached up towards another knob— a blue one— which he pressed without hesitation.

''Lidner?''

The answer came right away.

''Yes, L? What is it?'' The older woman questioned him, her voice devoid of any tiredness, which led him to think that she wasn't sleeping. While that rather surprising revelation would have bewildered anybody else, Near didn't dwell on the matter.

''Please wake up Miss Cabestan and send her to the investigation room.''

A light laugh caught the young man off guard. ''L, do you really not value my life _at all_?''

''I beg your pardon?'' Near arched a white eyebrow.

''If I wake her up at 5 in the morning, she's going to kill me,'' Hal said matter-of-factly. ''I will need a very good reason to wake that woman right now, L.''

''I see. Well, then tell her it is not me who is requesting her presence, but Mello.'' He shrugged, satisfied with the quite acceptable explanation he just worked out.

 _If Miss Cabestan helds any ill will towards the person who caused her premature awakening, then she will unleash her tantrum on Mello._

''Fine, I'll bring her to you as soon as possible.''

''Thank you, Lidner.'' He ended the call.

''Asshole,'' was the furious and yet amused reaction he earned from his rival. Quite an enticing mix, at Near's taste, but he quickly chased that absurd thought away.

''That was quite rude, Mello.'' L's lips curved into a tiny smirk.

''Fuck you.''

''I apologize, but I would rather not.''

A hollow laugh, then a hoarse whisper. ''You're unsufferable, Near.''

''And so are you, Mello,'' Near muttered smoothly.

A long silence followed this last exchange which left the two enemies grinning. Finally the silence was broken by a familiar noise.

 _ **Croc.**_

''I am sure Mello is aware of the fact that over-consumming chocolate bars is unhealthy,'' L stated, as if to soothe the tense astmosphere.

 _ **Croc.**_

''Why do you care?'' Mello snapped, while chewing and swallowing his favorite sweet. ''I am sure Near is aware of the fact that addressing someone using the third person is impolite and mostly stupid.''

''Why do you care?'' Near's smile widened at Mello's retaliation as he gave a proper response of his own.

A bitter chuckle matched his own wry smile.

The truth is, the two geniuses wouldn't admit it, not even to themselves, but they missed those conversations very much. For both Near and Mello, only one person could provide them such challenging and entertaining exchanges. Even though there was one and only word which could describe them, and it wasn't in the least flattering, but that was what they were, after all...

 _Childish._

The world's greatest detective stretched a hand to grab the robot and brought him at his eye-level, examining it just like he did when Mello gave it back to him at Wammy's thirteen years ago. He pulled the toy's arm upward, then the leg, the other arm, and the other leg...

 _Yes, it indeed had been fixed very well. I wasn't aware of that skill of yours, Mello... You never cease to amaze me._

He was too focused on his like-new robot that he didn't hear the door wings slide open.

''You better have a fucking good reason to wake me up in the middle of the night, Mello, because if you don't, I can assure you I won't wait until I understand your fucked-up brain to find you myself and break your neck with my bare hands.''

Elena Cabestan walked towards the desk and sat next to Near, looking up at the bright screens. Behind her stood Lidner who shot a glance at the young detective, her eyes seemed to say ''I warned you, L.'' But the white-dressed boy chose to ignore them and glanced at the lawyer whose eyes were glooming with boiling anger.

Mello laughed heartedly.

''Well, well, I think that's the first time a woman threatens me.''

''Keep annoying me, and it won't be the last,'' Cabestan snapped.

Hal Lidner settled down in the wheel chair at her right, looking at the criminologist out of the corner of her eye.

''Fine. So I'm not gonna wait any longer and I'll explain why I asked for you,'' Mello announced.

Everyone in the working room fell silent, waiting for the blonde man to continue.

''One week ago, I'd never heard of the french penal law professor Elena Cabestan, yet three days ago, Near was preparing himself to contact you. He said, and I quote here, ''Bring her to me, even if you have to use force in order to succeed. Only her can help me with this case,'' he said.''

The law professor glared at the male sitting at her left who stared back at her innocently with his big dark orbs. She sighed.

''Yes, I know that, and then what?''

''This is Near we're talking about. I'm aware you don't know him very well yet, but I'm sure if your talents in psychology match your reputation, then you must have noticed this kid is not the type to ask for help. He never needs help, he's too proud for that.''

An amused smile crossed Elena's red lips. ''Yes, I noticed.''

''Naturally, I wondered why _you_ would be the exception,'' Mello kept going, his voice deep and slow. ''So I did a little research about you, Cabestan...''

At the general surprise, the french woman leant back on her seat and started examining her nails thoroughfully.

''You investigated me, seriously?''

''Yes,'' they all could hear a smirk in his voice as he spoke distinctly, ''I have my sources. So I put many of my old friends on your case...''

Near frowned slightly, while Lidner looked at the golden-haired woman carefully, trying to decipher any sign of discomfort on her stony face, but she saw none.

''You must know my old friends aren't like some dumb cops. No. They're— Hm, let's say— much more efficient and...persuasive.''

''Mello, could you please get to the point?'' A cool voice intervened.

''Patience, Near, patience... You don't wanna know what I found about your precious Miss Cabestan?''

''I hardly see why anything you could find about Miss Cabestan's private life would be of my concern.''

A delighted husky laugh echoed in the whole room, causing the detective and his agent to frown deeper, while the subject of the discussion only crossed her legs one above another and looked at the gothic letter with an ounce of exasperation.

''Are you sure, Near?'' The criminal purred. ''You disappoint me. I thought what I found would catch your interest...''

The mischevious tone alarmed the white-haired boy. This was the tone Mello used when he had won. Near pursed his bloodless lips as he understood Mello detained an information he had not. He knew what Mello was waiting for, so he simply gave it to him.

''Very well, Mello,'' he said, ''I am listening.''

''I knew you would change your mind, Near,'' the other man snarled. ''I knew you would want to learn about that special _friend_ of Cabestan's...''

''What _friend_ , Mello?'' L urged him as he felt his patience burning out.

Another mirthless chuckle, filled with a disgusting and perverted satisfaction.

'' _Kira_.''

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

I told you the Kira case would be important. And, as Elena said, everything is linked, right? How Elena can be related to Kira? Well, you will see...

 **Next chapter: Elena and the SPM visit the third murder scene, and Near tells another story about him and Mello at the Wammy's House.**

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked that chapter and how the plot is going so far. I'll update more often, now that I am done with exams.

 **My thanks to Elena1111 and Guest (who will I hope recognize himself/herself) for their kind reviews, I can't tell you how much it pleases me! Keep sharing your thoughts, you're awesome!**

 **Please follow and leave a review if you like this story! Knowing that someone actually cares gives me hope and helps me write.**

Bye bye, humans!

 _ **C.**_


	9. Believe

**_New York City M.N. Murder Case_**

 **Chapter 9: Believe**

A joyless chuckle drew back the two investigators' attention towards the main subject of the conversation.

''That's nonsense, Mello.'' Elena said, her voice very calm as she was still checking her fingernails.

Silence.

Eventually, she raised her head. Dark empty orbs and icy blue eyes were cast upon her.

''Wait.'' She snorted awkwardly. ''Oh, please! Tell me you're not bying that!''

When her wide hazel eyes locked with emotionless black ones, she leant back against her seat and smacked her forehead.

''Oh God! You are.'' She groaned. ''I can't believe you're actually trusting _him_!'' Her eyes shut as a weary sigh escaped her red lips. ''He's a psychopath trying to reach to you by killing innocent children...but when he tells you that _I_ , your co-worker in that case, had some kind of a relation with Kira, the worst mass murderer that ever existed, just in order to confuse you and test your trust in _me_ , you just listen and agree with him. _Unbelievable_.''

''I don't know, Miss Cabestan.'' L tilted his head to the side, his eyes still locked with Cabestan's. His chair was now fully turned towards the older woman. ''After all, I myself could observe many common traits between you and Kira. As did Lidner, if I remember well.''

''Well,'' Lidner's uneasy voice interfered, ''in fact, when I said Elena was comparable to Kira, I didn't really mean—''

''That is irrelevant,'' Near cut her off icily. ''You said she could become just as narcissist as Kira used to be, and you were right.''

''What?!'' Elena yelled, finally opening her eyes to glare at the young detective. ''I am not a narcissist! And— Oh God! I can't believe we have come to this...'' She shook her head in disbelief. ''I was called in the middle of the night to help you discuss with a serial killer to try and get some informations out of him, and now I'm the one being questioned. It doesn't make any sense! Obviously Mello set up a trap for you, and you just fell for it. I'm really disappointed, L.''

''There is a seventy-three percent chance Mello did say that in order to turn us against each other.'' The white-haired man blatantly ignored her complaints.

''Then why the hell do you believe him?!''

''...But there is a ninety-seven percent chance he is telling the truth.''

''You— Wait, what?!'' She stood up abruptly, causing the chair to fall backwards. She looked down at the younger man before her, a glow of pure rage clearly painted on her bright eyes.

''I assure you, I don't know Kira, and I never worked with him! I am not his accomplice, and I never was! I have nothing to do with him!'' She turned away from the two SPM members as she struggled to hold back a howl of frustration. Suddenly, she turned around to glance at the blank screens.

''And why the hell are you not speaking anymore, Mello? Are you just looking at us through one of the bugs you put in here Satan knows how? You like the show, don't you? The task force members charged to stop you tearing themselves apart... You like spreading chaos all around you, don't you?''

''Indeed,'' the deep voice agreed in a neutral tone. ''And you sound a bit too much agitated for someone who's supposed to be completely innocent, now don't you, Cabestan?''

''And you sound a bit too much calm for a murderer who's taking pleasure in killing children just in order to play his sick games of dominance with his beloved mortal enemy, now don't you, Mello?'' She fought back instantly as she regained her composure. She shot a look at the world's greatest detective who was blinking at the dark gothic _**M**_ , his hand suspended in the air.

''W-What?! He is not my—''

''Who cares, Mello?'' Elena slammed her fists on the desk, glaring at the shining screens with boundless fury. ''Who cares? He could be the president of the United States, or Michael Jackson, I would't give a damn! You're just a fucking psychopath with an inferiority complex, obsessed with a sociopath child detective suffering from an emotional disability!''

Near widened her eyes at her. _Me? A sociopath child detective suffering from an emotional disability?_

Lidner cleared her throat, trying her best to ease the atmosphere, but as expected, failure was all she got.

''But let me help you on this,'' Cabestan carried on with her violent speech, impertubable. ''You are not inferior to him, Mello. Near, _L_ , or whatever he likes to call himself, is no better than you. He is just wearing white so his soul appears more clean, that's all. But the truth is, he is just as disturbed as you, perhaps maybe even more! You're a ruthless and dangerous serial killer, and all he wants is catching you, but not in order to bring you to court, no... He just wants to win. Just like you, Mello.''

She turned towards L, boring into his impenetrable dark pools with her burning almond eyes. ''You were right. You are the same. You don't care about Justice with a capital J. You're just like the former L, and probably just like all the Ls that will succeed you. All you care about is your little ego and your reputation of the _world's greatest detective_.'' She spat disdainfully.

''But you forget that between your two incredible minds, in the middle of your games and pawns, there are humans who are just waiting to be saved. And those humans don't care about who wins and who loses. All they want is Justice, and yet all you can do is throwing your little victory at their face.''

Elena looked away and rested her palms on the table once again. Hal and Near exchanged a quizzical glance as a spark appeared at the corner of the lawyer's eyes, but none of them dared to wonder what that odd gleam could actually hide. The criminologist then looked up at the great and powerful _**M**_ displayed on the wall.

''But I can tell you, _L_ , Near, _M_ , Mello, both of you... this time, none of you will win this battle. If Kira wasn't Justice, then so can't you. No one can embody Justice. Not Kira, not L, not N, not M, not me. And if you think otherwise, then you will both lose.''

She straightened up as her red full lips let out a trembling sigh. She bent down and got her chair back on its wheels. She put her head down and walked towards the exit.

''Now if you'll excuse me, the only human in this room would like to sleep while _you_ , broken heartless machines, keep fighting for a mirage.'' She waved a weary hand without looking back. ''You can continue accusing me of the worst crimes imaginable if you want. Unlike you, I am tired of playing meaningless games. I am not playing anymore. And I am not staying to see your demise.''

And with that, the door wings slid closed, leaving a motionless L still blinking at the screens like a robot, a stunned Lidner clinging at her armrests almost desperately and a speechless Mello who hadn't even the strength to bite into his last chocolate bar.

Finally, a steady voice broke the unbearable silence and seemed to bring back reality to the three protagonists.

''Mello.''

 _ **Croc.**_

''What?'' came the harsh answer.

''You requested Miss Cabestan's presence just in order to provoke her and see her reaction yourself,'' Near stated plainly. ''Did you get what you wanted?''

A mirthless chuckle resounded in the empty room.

''Yeah, but not what I expected though...''

''What do you mean?'' The crouched man frowned slightly.

''I didn't imagine her that...eloquent. She didn't stay troubled for long, she quickly got a hold on herself. And that was kinda disappointing. It's even possible that she actually faked her shock...''

''I am afraid Miss Cabestan is just as skilled as we are in the art of manipulation.'' L sighed lightly as he took his disregarded robot toy in his pale hands. ''That is going to complicate your plans greatly, isn't it?''

''Probably, yes.'' Near could imagine his slender shoulders shrug as he spoke. ''But that only confirms her possible relation with Kira, don't you think?''

''Mello. How is Miss Cabestan linked to Kira?''

''Ah!'' The older man laughed out loud. ''You'd like to know, uh? Sorry, Near. I won't tell anything more. You'll have to figure out the rest on your own. But I can tell you one last thing...''

''Yes?''

''You should really inform yourself better before hiring a new member in your team you know _nothing_ about,'' he said quietly, his voice even lower than usual.

A muffled crackle echoed in the dark, and the two investigators understood the line was cut. L pressed his toy against his chest as his other hand reached up to twirl a white lock of hair.

''Lidner.''

The blonde woman seemed to remember how to speak after being silent for so long, only listening to the conversation between the two geniuses.

''Yes, L?''

''I need you to investigate Elena Cabestan.''

''What? But there is absolutely no public information disclosed about her private life whatsoever! She is very secretive, she never revealed a single thing to the press, even during interviews! There are no documents nor anything I could use! How am I—''

''I wasn't talking about interviews, legal nor administrative documents, Lidner. Those are not what I am looking for. I want you to get informations out of Miss Cabestan, but not by using a conventional way.''

''Not by a conventional way? But then how—''

''I want to know _everything_ about Miss Cabestan.''

''But that's impossible, Near, I can't—''

''Of course you can,'' Near interrupted her ruthlessly. ''There are many different ways of getting informations, and you know it. You have been part of the C.I.A. once. I believe you are perfectly aware of the different techiques provided for such purpose.'' He rested his chin on the top of his toy's head.

''And you have now my authorisation to use _any_ means necessary.''

''No...'' Hal whispered weakly. ''You can't possibly mean—''

''I may suffer from an emotional disability as Miss Cabestan generously pointed out earlier, but I am certainly not blind, Lidner. '' L snapped. ''I can see how you and Miss Cabestan are acting around each other. That is why I am asking _you_ this special favour. Because I know Miss Cabestan will be more willing to share—''

''No.'' Lidner shook her head vigorously.

''I beg your pardon?'' Eventually, L looked up at the woman in front of him who raised from her seat.

''I understand what you expect from me,'' she said dryly, ''and I won't do it. You want me to bring Elena to trust me and then use her own feelings against her to get the informations you need.''

''That was exactly what I was thinking about, yes.''

''I figured. But I won't do it, Near. I am _not_ going to seduce her to better manipulate her. That's cruel.''

''Yet you applied that very same strategy on Mello last year during the Kira case, if I remember well,'' Near reminded her, his voice as sharp as a knife.

''Yes, but...that was not the same situation. I didn't— She's not Mello.'' Hal blurted out miserably. ''Elena is...different.'' She looked down, hiding her eyes behind her blonde bangs.

''Is she?'' The white boy tilted his head to the side, faking genuine interest.

''Yes.''

''And may I ask how Elena Cabestan is any different from Mello?'' He asked coldly. ''Because she is a lawyer? Because she is french? Because she is a woman? Because she is on the good side of the law? Because she is what one can consider as beautiful? Because she has not been destroyed by a hard and unfair life? Because she has not—''

''That isn't true,'' Hal cut him off quietly.

''What is not true?''

''You might be right about one point.'' She sighed, biting her lip. ''I suppose I can tell you, I have absolutely no clue about what she was implying anyway.'' She looked up at Near, her blue eyes glistening in the dark. ''There is one thing that Mello and Elena have in common, Elena told me so herself.''

''And what is that thing?'' Near urged her as he eventually put his toy robot down.

''She said she understands him. She said she understands criminals because they have a shattered soul. According to her, Mello has a shattered soul, just as she does. She said she had tried to save a criminal once, but she failed. If I understood well, as she gradually learnt to understand that criminal, she ended up breaking her own soul in the process...''

L glanced down at the floor, nodding slightly. ''I see.''

''You...you see what she meant by that?'' Lidner questioned him, incredulous.

''Of course I know what she meant. I believe I can even claim I know the criminal she tried to save in vain.''

Hal Lidner took a step closer towards the young detective, leaning down as if to hear his revelation better.

''Who was it?'' She breathed.

The white-haired boy raised his head as his pale lips curved into a tiny smirk of satisfaction.

''Why, _Kira_ , of course.'' He stated neutrally, as if he was not talking about the worst serial killer the earth had ever held.

The older woman froze, straightening up abruptly.

''Oh my God.''

A tense silence filled up the room, during which Lidner was staring at the floor blankly, while the world's greatest detective was busy keeping his favorite toy into a little box which seemed to fit the robot's shape perfectly.

''We cannot afford to let the world sink into another wave of terror,'' L finally broke the silence. ''If Elena Cabestan did get in contact with Light Yagami, she might have become her accomplice, instead of Takada whom he chose to replace for obvious reasons. And now she might have taken up the torch. As we speak, it is even possible that Elena Cabestan has become the new Kira and is currently pursuing Kira's justice around the world, but with such caution that no police noticed something suspect.''

Lidner couldn't suppress a shiver at the idea of that so enticing woman carrying up Kira's justice in the shadows, deceiving the whole world without no one knowing.

''She is older than Kira used to be. If she benefits of his power and is free to act without having to obey his orders, it is highly probable that she is using it more carefully and more patiently that a young and fiery man would. Miss Cabestan is a very wise and patient woman despite the appearances, I had the opportunity to verify that myself.''

The blonde was glaring at the detective, speechless, waiting for him to elaborate his terrifying theory.

''Thus, it is very likely that, if Miss Cabestan does have a Death Note in her possession, she would not use it as massively as Light Yagami. It would be quite unsurprising that a few heart attacks here and there among the inmate population have remained unnoticed since the Kira case has been officially closed and no one wishes to believe this is in fact not over.''

Then, L stretched his legs and got up from his seat, walking very slowly towards the middle of the room, wandering like a ghost, where he settled down, in front of a few cards scattered on the floor. He took a black card between his thumb and forefinger and lifted it at his eye-level.

''I cannot reopen the Kira case, but I cannot afford to let Kira's threat rule the world once again either. That is why I am asking your help, Lidner. I know you only listen to your heart and instincts, but you should ponder that.'' He looked at her from behind the small card he held before his face.

''Do you want to bear the responsibility of a new Kira rising and terrorizing the world once again? Do you want to see your dear Elena Cabestan become the blood thirsty murderer Light Yagami used to be? Do you want to see her fall right at your feet when I will sentence her to life in prison or worse...to a death sentence?''

She struggled to swallow.

''Actually, that would be the best case scenario. What would you do if your former employers, Interpol or perhaps the F.B.I. heard about the existence of a new Kira and required a top-secret execution, unknown from the public opinion and the governments, in order to protect the worldwide's population?''

Lidner averted the young man's harsh gaze.

 _I cannot let her be executed like a mere terrorist!_

''I don't know.'' She mumbled.

''There is a way, Lidner,'' L began in a smooth tone. ''We could ensure Miss Cabestan was never involved in Kira's assassinations program by setting up a small investigation which would forever stay inside the walls of the SPM headquarters, lead by a truthworthy person...''

She clenched her fists angrily. _Damn you, Near!_ She cursed innerly.

 _I can't let the secret services deal with it because, if Elena turns out to be guilty, that would inevitably end by her death, but I can't let L investigate either for he would not hesitate to put her to death or to a life-long prison sentence. If I want to have any control over this situation in order to sort informations and prevent Elena from being doomed, the only way is to lead the investigation myself._

 _And Near knows that._

 _He knows I want to make sure no compromising informations will be revealed, and for that I'll have to investigate Elena Cabestan myself and control the informations that will be released. Perhaps he has a plan to get the informations I will try to hide from him, but I have no idea how he will manage that..._

 _Elena is a great woman. I can't let her be sacrificed for L's obsessed desire for justice like Light Yagami, or Mello, had been._

 _I have no choice. I don't know why, but I feel it. I need to protect her. If I don't, then who will?_

''Fine,'' she spat between gritted teeth. ''I will do it.''

Near raised his piercing bottomless eyes to meet hers. She believed she saw a small grin spreading across his blank features.

''Very well,'' he agreed almost cheerfully— if he was able to express joy, that is. ''You made the right choice, Lidner.''

''Yes.'' She growled as she turned around, heading towards the swinging doors.

 _I have a great deal of respect for you, Near, I always did._

 _But sometimes, you are nothing more than what Mello calls you..._

 _An asshole._

As she entered her flat and let herself fall on her bed, she sighed deeply, forcing her eyes shut.

 _I am sorry, Elena._

* * *

The next morning went so usually and everyone was acting so normally, it was almost disturbing considering the events of the night before.

Even though Hal Lidner seemed to be constantly deep in thoughts, L was as emotionless as ever, Gevanni as composed as ever, Rester as silent as ever, and Elena Cabestan as sarcastic as ever.

It was only the fourth day since the arrival of the new member of the task force, yet some sort of a routine had been settled.

The mornings were reserved to investigation on the murder scenes, while afternoons and evenings were spent at the headquarters, looking through the victims' data, checking the clues, discussing some theories— which most of the time ended with a confrontation between the world's greatest detective and the criminologist— and trying to find some solutions about the Mello's situation.

So when the time had come to go and investigate the third crime scene, Mickael Nichols' house, the SPM agents didn't even need to talk before they were all busy working on their respective tasks. Lidner searching for some documents or files, whereas Gevanni was looking for any scientific proof of Mello's visit and Cabestan for any indications about Mello's state of mind or emotions which could emerge from the place.

''So, where is that damn toy?'' The lawyer wondered aloud as she entered the evelen year old victim's bedroom, soon followed by Hal and Gevanni. She looked around, not wasting her time searching for anything else.

''On the floor, right next to the bed,'' Gevanni answered.

Elena lowered her gaze and laid her eyes on a tiny green fairy toy disregarded on the ground. She walked towards the little object and kneeled in front of it.

''You must be kidding me,'' she scoffed as she held the fairy in her hands. ''L, do you see yourself as Peter Pan or something?''

 _ **[Not particularly, no. Why do you ask?]**_ Near's plain voice echoed in her earpiece.

''Oh come on, L! You have a little Tinkerbell doll, for God's sake!''

 _ **[This is not Tinkerbell, Miss Cabestan.]**_

The french woman arched an eyebrow as she examined the green fairy more closely. She rolled her eyes.

''Oh yeah, she has brown hair and she is not wearing a bun, my apologies,'' she mocked.

 _ **[I accept your apologies.]**_

''Why, thank you very much!'' She said sarcastically as her eyes met Lidner's amused gaze. She smirked at her, Hal raised a questioning eyebrow.

The criminologist then glanced down at the toy lying in her hands, frowning slightly.

 _I wonder what this fairy means to him..._

 _No._

 _To **them**._

She sighed deeply. She didn't like to force people into confessing a very private secret.

''L.''

 _ **[Yes, Miss Cabestan?]** _ Came the prompt and blank response on the other end of the line.

''I, uh...'' She hesitated, but was soon cut off by a firm voice.

 _ **[Yes.]**_

''You—''

 _ **[Yes. I know exactly what you are willing to ask, and I suppose I have no choice but to tell you. So listen well, Miss Cabestan.]**_

She smiled slightly as she let herself be carried away by L's calm and soothing voice...

* * *

 **Eleven years ago: The Wammy's House**

The blonde boy was lying on a couch, his feet resting on the armrest, a piece of dark chocolate stucked between his teeth as he was eyeing some piles of packed chocolate bars on the ground.

 _One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, elev—_

A knock on the door.

He raised his head, frowning.

''What?'' He grumbled.

''Mello, it is Near.''

The older kid winced at the sound of that annoying empty voice.

''What do you want, Near?''

''I want to talk to you, Mello. Could you please open the door?''

''No,'' he spat, his icy blue eyes fixed on the closed door. ''Tell me what you want.''

''L sent me.''

Those three words were enough to freeze Mello in place. His eyes widened, he opened his mouth to talk, then he gave up.

''Fine, come in.''

The door opened slightly to let enter a small white figure which crept into the room and walked towards the couch. Near then leant down and settled on the floor at Mello's feet. At Mello's greatest surprise, he slid a pale hand in his shirt pocket and handed out a tiny fairy toy.

''What the hell are you doing with that doll?!'' He asked, utterly puzzled.

''Nothing in particular, I simply always have it with me.'' Near shrugged his shoulders.

''But what—''

''She never leaves me.'' He cut him off quietly as he held the fairy against his chest.

''Yeah, I got that,'' The blonde growled in annoyance. ''But why?''

Near stayed silent as he reached out to pick some chocolate bars and started stacking them as if playing some kind of a construction game.

''I am not a dreamer.'' The white-haired boy declared eventually, in his usual monotone voice.

''You— What?''

His rival sighed lightly as he slowly looked up to meet Mello's piercing gaze.

''Does Mello believe in fairies?'' He questioned.

''What?!'' The blonde burst out as he bent forward to loom over Near. ''What the hell, Near?! You're not making any sense! Of course not I don't believe in fairies, no one does! That's just— Why are you asking me that, anyway?! Since when do you care about what I think?''

Near looked down, focusing on his new-built tower made up of chocolate bars.

''I always care about what Mello thinks.''

''You do?'' He blinked at him.

''Yes.''

''Why did you ask me that, then? Do _you_ believe in fairies?'' He lowered his head so his face was right in front of Near's messy white hair.

''Of course not.''

''God, Near! You're just so...weird.'' He shook his head as he glanced at the other kid's new creation.

''I know,'' Near murmured almost inaudibly.

''What are you doing here, Near?'' Mello urged him as he stretched a hand to snatch Near's from the chocolate pile, preventing him from playing with his favorite snack.

''I already told you,'' Near answered blankly. ''I want to talk to you.''

''Yeah, but what do you wanna talk about?''

The slouched boy raised his head to find himself staring at two bright blue orbs, his face only a few inches apart from Mello's.

''Did you ever dream about flying away, Mello?'' He whispered.

Mello frowned in confusion.

''Well, every kid had dreamt about flying, I guess.'' He shrugged.

''That is true,'' Near nodded solemnly. ''But humans cannot fly.''

The blonde boy laughed roughly. ''No shit, Sherlock!'' He mocked.

His worst enemy raised the small fairy doll so that it was right between the two children's faces.

'' _She_ can fly.'' Near stated simply. '' _She_ has wings while _I_ don't. Therefore, when she is with me, she is my wings.''

At this very instant, Mello thought his eyes just popped out of his head with pure disbelief as he leant back against the couch.

''What the hell, Near?! This is a fucking toy, it can't fly!''

''It cannot fly only if you believe it can't,'' the boy said mysteriously as he tilted his head to the side. ''That is exactly the lesson Peter Pan taught to Wendy and her brothers. Believe you can fly, trust pixie dust, and you shall fly. That is the law of Neverland. That can apply to our world for almost everything. You can't catch a criminal only if you believe you can't.'' He put down his hand, placing the toy upon his bent knee. ''So tell me, Mello...'' He smirked as he locked his unreadable gaze with Mello's.

''Do you believe?''

''I believe in nothing,'' the stubborn blonde snapped as he crossed his legs and folded his arms on his chest.

''That is very unfortunate, Mello.'' Near sighed. ''If you don't even believe in yourself, then you will achieve nothing. Nonetheless...''

''What?''

''I heard that if someone believes in you, then you don't have to believe in yourself.''

''Yeah, well,'' Mello sneered, ''nobody believes in me, so that's not gonna help!''

''That is not true.'' Near grabbed the fairy's wings and held it towards Mello, stretching a hand towards him.

''Ah! Good joke, Near!'' He snarled. ''Even L doesn't believe in me! No, no one believes in me. But you know what? I don't give a shit.'' He leant forward once again and stole the little fairy away from his rival. ''Now go away, Near. I don't wanna talk to you anymore. Get out.'' He stood and went towards the door, suggesting Near to follow him, but the odd kid didn't perform the slighest gesture.

''Get out, Near!'' Mello ordered through gritted teeth.

Eventually, the crouched figure straightened up and walked towards him, very slowly. He planted himself right in front of Mello and reached up to twirl a white lock of hair around his index finger, looking up into Mello's burning eyes.

''You ripped my wings off.'' He murmured. ''Now you have my wings. Then you shall fly for me, Mello.''

''W-What?!'' Mello stuttered in awe as he took a step backwards. ''That's bullshit, Near! I can't—''

''Of course you can,'' he cut him off sharply, his bottomless orbs boring into Mello's widened eyes.

He circled around the blonde, carefully avoiding to touch him as he reached the door. He placed a pale hand on the door knob and turned his head to glance at Mello.

''Because _I_ believe in _you_ , Mello,'' he said, his voice still devoid of emotion.

''That is the reason why I will let you take my wings away from me,'' he added as he stared at the small fairy toy now pressed into Mello's right hand.

''Perhaps, one day, you will return them to me. When you will _believe_.''

With those last enigmatic words, the nine year old boy exited his so-called nemesis' bedroom, leaving a puzzled and shocked Mello behind him.

Mello looked down at the tiny precious green fairy in his hand and wrapped his thin fingers around it fiercely.

 _You believed you can fly._

 _You gave me your wings._

 _You want me to fly for you._

 _You believe in me..._

 _What does that mean? What is it all about, Near?_

 _Is that one of your puzzles I have to solve in order to beat you?_

 _What is it I have to believe in?_

 _Do I have to believe..._

 _In **you**?_

* * *

Elena Cabestan looked down at the slim green doll. She smiled at herself as she stroked the fairy's wings, then she chuckled lightly.

Hal frowned at the younger woman.

 _What is it that makes you laugh, Elena? Did you understand something?_

Like an echo to her thoughts, a deadpan voice spoke in their headset.

 _ **[Miss Cabestan, may I ask what is it that is so ludicrous?]**_

Elena laughed even better in response.

''L, I am afraid there is a matter in which Mello is far, _far_ better than you.'' She announced teasingly.

 _ **[I suppose so.]**_

Lidner walked towards the criminologist, still frowning.

''What do you mean, Elena?''

Cabestan raised her head to meet Lidner's gaze, clearly grinning at her.

''L is completely incapable when it comes to explain his emotions, and yet Mello figured out the puzzle he gave him and he understood. He understood everything.''

''But what did he understand exactly?'' The blonde woman asked.

The lawyer's smile widened. She held out the fairy towards the other SPM member.

''He understood the real meaning of that fairy for L,'' she declared as she swung the doll back and forth with a regular twist of her wrist.

''In fact, I think he even understood it better than L himself. Of course, this fairy isn't literally Near's wings, that's merely a metaphor. But we all got that. In truth, we could say this fairy is the only link between L and the world of dreams and imagination. Perhaps he got that toy from his big sister, his mother or whoever person that was important to him, and I guess that person taught him the story of Peter Pan and explained him how the fact to believe would allow him to achieve whatever he wishes. From that moment, he kept that fairy with him as a reminder that believing is the strongest weapon of all to get what you want. Without this doll, L doesn't believe in anything but proved and established matters. He can't dream anymore. That is the meaning hidden between the expressions ''fly'' and ''wings'' used by both Near and Mello. Am I right?'' She paused as she waited for the detective's reaction.

 _ **[Yes, you are, Miss Cabestan.]**_ Near's empty voice agreed almost reluctantly.

''Fine,'' The french woman nodded in satisfaction. ''So L used to believe, while Mello didn't. But when Mello took that fairy away from L, he also stole his ability to believe. Like I said, now L doesn't believe in anything anymore. On the contrary, Mello has the ''wings'' so he can believe. But that is not all. The only thing they did is exchanging their places. First, L was the one who believed, and now it's Mello. No. This is not supposed to end like that. The ultimate goal is for the both of them to finally _believe_.''

''But,'' Gevanni interrupted her hesitantly. ''How are they going to do that? If I understood well, the only way to believe is to detain the fairy doll, so...''

The criminologist shook her head, an amused smile tugging at her scarlet lips. ''No, Gevanni,'' she said confidently. ''This is not the only way. And Mello understood it perfectly. The fact that I am holding the fairy between my hands is the proof.'' She put her head up as she glanced at the dark-haired man.

''After all, the one who needs the fairy to believe was and still is L, right?'' She shot an inquiring glance at her two co-workers who shared an inquisitive look before they both nodded. ''Right. So he shouldn't have left the fairy to Mello...and yet he did. Why?'' She asked them just like a teacher would ask her students to finish her sentence to check if they did learn their lesson.

''Because he believed in Mello...'' Lidner realized as she pronounced those words aloud.

Elena offered her a warm smile. ''Very well, Hal. That's it. L gave up his wings because he believed. He believed in Mello. He gave his wings to Mello, but not without asking him to give it back to him one day, when Mello will believe as well. Why?'' She paused again, looking at Gevanni and Lidner.

''Because Near knew he needed his wings to believe, but he thought Mello didn't?'' Gevanni tried.

''Exactly,'' Cabestan confirmed. ''L needs something in order to believe because he is not skilled in that matter, whereas Mello is naturally inclined to believe, so he doesn't need anything. But then, you may ask, why give Mello the fairy if he knew Mello didn't need it?'' She wondered as if for herself.

''That's simple, actually. He did it to prove that he believed in Mello. Giving up his wings to Mello was an act of trust. ''I give up my only way to believe to you because I believe in you. I trust you to understand and give it back to me the day you will believe in me as well.'' That is the only logical explanation of L's move. It is some kind of a test, if we think about it...'' She rested a hand under her chin.

''To pass the test, Mello had to give the fairy back to L, which he did!'' She exclaimed, raising her index finger in the air. ''Now we have to decipher Mello's intentions. But that seems pretty clear.''

''Well, speak for yourself,'' Hal mumbled which earned her a smirk from the lawyer.

''Mello didn't need the fairy to believe, generally speaking,'' Elena began. ''He needed the fairy to believe in something, or rather in _someone_ in particular. He needed the fairy to believe in Near. Since Near gave up his wings to him, then it means Near believed in him. It was an act of trust whose purpose was to lead Mello to believe in him in return. Mello had returned the fairy, the _wings_ , and by doing so, he's saying that he believes in Near.''

''That makes sense,'' Lidner commented. ''Near gave up the fairy to Mello so Mello would believe in him. But if we follow your reasoning, Elena, then Near cannot believe again...until he has his toy back.''

''Not really,'' Cabestan pursed her lips as she walked slowly towards Hal, her bright eyes staring at the slender blonde woman. ''When Near gave up his fairy to Mello, he thought he would never believe again, but he was wrong.'' She stopped as she spotted Lidner's and Gevanni's puzzled gazes.

''Actually, he never lost the ability to believe.'' She raised her head as she stood right in front of the other female agent. '' _Because_ he believed in Mello, then he never ceased to believe. Somehow, we could say he believed _through_ Mello. The fairy was just the mediator between them.'' She reached up to brush the fairy's wings against Lidner's sharp cheekbone. The blonde froze instantly as she glared at the curly-haired woman in awe.

''When Near was deprived of his wings,'' the professor began as she slid her fingers still wrapped around the doll down Hal's neck, ''Mello got them, and then...'' She bent her head to the side as she placed her hand right on Lidner's heart.

''Mello became his wings.'' She whispered eventually as she locked her glistening gaze with Hal's.

''Elena, what—'' The former C.I.A. agent called in a husky tone as she grabbed Elena's hand.

Elena shut her up as she pushed the toy's wings against the blonde's lips. She curled her red nails around Lidner's blazer collar, drawing the woman's face closer.

''And now,'' she murmured, her lips pressed against the fairy's face, the only thing that still separated the two women's lips, ''Mello gave the fairy back to Near. So it means he believes in him, right?''

Hal could do nothing but nod as she tightened her grip around the lawyer's wrist.

''And if Mello believes in Near, if he gave up his wings to him, what does it mean, _Hal_?''

Hal Lidner slowly pulled Cabestan's hand away, freeing the space between their mouths, light brown eyes piercing into icy blue ones. The younger woman leant even closer, ignoring the embarrassed cough coming from behind her and the disapproving noise which filled her earpiece.

''They switched roles,'' Elena purred against Lidner's shaky lips. ''They are equals now. They both believe. But they don't both have the fairy, only Near does. Yet, they both have wings. How is that possible, Hal?''

Then realization strucked Hal Lidner full force. Her jaw dropped, her eyes widening in disbelief. Without thinking, she raised a hesitant hand as her fingertips touched Elena's cheeks and settled on the professor's red lips.

''Near has become Mello's wings.'' She said quietly as her hand fell down limply.

But her hand was caught in mid air and brought to smooth, silky lips as Elena Cabestan kissed Lidner's hand delicately, her amber eyes meeting the other woman's in a tense and mesmerizing contest.

Hal squeezed her lips shut as the criminologist smiled smugly.

''Very good, _Hal_ ,'' the french woman breathed against Hal's lean fingers. ''It seems I finally bring you to believe, after all...''

All of a sudden, she let go of the tall agent's hand and took a step back before she turned around abruptly. She suppressed a chuckle at the dead silence that reigned in the whole place and in the headquarters where L was probably left speechless as well.

 _I know what you plan to do, L._ _But I won't let you._

 _I am not the one who's seduced. I am the one who **seduces**._

 _So what are you gonna do, uh?_

 _Hal can't play with me if I seduce her first, now..._

 _Can she?_

* * *

 _Author's Note_

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it.

Who will win the game: Lidner or Cabestan?

 **Next chapter: A much-anticipated character finally arrives...**

 **A huge thanks to Elena1111 who keeps sharing her thoughts, thank you so much for your support! Please don't stop!**

 **Follow and leave a review if you want to see Mello! :P**

Bye bye, humans!

 ** _C._**


	10. Naomi Misora

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 10: Naomi Misora**

A light laugh caused the world's greatest detective to look away from his tower made up of matchsticks. He tilted his head to the side in interrogation.

''L never asked you to talk to Mello eleven years ago,'' Elena Cabestan declared in an amused tone as she spun her chair around to glance at the white-haired boy.

Near lowered his gaze on the floor. ''Indeed, he didn't.''

Cabestan learnt forward, resting her elbows on her knees. ''Then why? Why did you go to your worst enemy's bedroom?''

''As I told Mello back then, I wanted to talk to him, that is all.'' The new L repeated emotionlessly, just like a broken record.

''I know you wanted to talk to him,'' the lawyer rolled her eyes. ''You're avoiding my question, L.''

The detective looked up. ''Am I?'' He blinked at her.

''Yeah, you are.'' Elena sighed in exasperation. ''I asked you why you wanted to visit Mello in his room. I want to know why you wanted to talk to him. Why would you want to talk with your rival who never held anything towards you but a boundless _hatred_?'' She emphasised this last word as if she hoped it would trigger something in Near's mind.

But the latter simply reached up to add a match to his tower.

''I cannot answer that question,'' he said flatly.

''Oh come on, L!'' The professor exclaimed, spreading her arms in irritation. ''Don't start again! I know this is very private and personal! I know this is none of my business, I know this is none of my concern! But you _want_ me to help you! You _asked_ me to involve myself in your business and Mello's in order to solve that case! Yet, you still don't want to—''

''I don't refuse to answer you because I don't want to, Miss Cabestan,'' L cut her off sharply.

''Then... _why_?''

Near put his hand down on his bent knee as he stared at the floor blankly.

''I can't answer your question simply because I don't know the answer.''

The criminologist widened her eyes in shock. She was speechless. Never had she heard L, Near, the world's greatest detective, said that he _didn't know_. She stared at the younger man in silence. Then she turned her chair towards her computer desk. She placed her hand on the mouse. As she focused on the glistening screen, she smiled to herself.

 _If you don't know, then the answer is obvious, L._

 _Emotion._

 _That is the reason._

 _The reason why you wanted to talk to Mello eleven years ago._

 _The reason why you gave up on your pride to ask for help on that case._

 _The reason why you want to understand Mello._

 _The reason why you want to find him._

 _You don't know it yet, L, but you care for Mello far more deeply than you think._

She sneaked a glance above her shoulder. The crouched silhouette was busy whirling a strand of hair around its spidery fingers.

 _Very well, Near. Since you can't admit it to yourself, then I'll have to force you into facing the truth._

 _That's why you hired me, didn't you?_

 _You need someone to introduce you to the world of feels?_

 _Fine, then I shall be your guide._

 _But I need someone else to help me with that task..._

 _The only person who can make you feel emotions._

 _Mello._

* * *

A firm knock on the door.

Lidner's eyebrows furrowed slightly. She looked down at her black watch. 1:20pm. She rose from her seat and walked towards the apartment entry. She opened the door slightly to discover an apparently very concerned Elena Cabestan.

''Elena, what—'' She interrupted herself as the other woman pushed the door wide open and got in, passing by Lidner's frame without waiting for any sort of invitation.

''I need to talk to you, Hal,'' she said matter-of-factly as she turned to face the former C.I.A. agent.

''Well, I am not inviting you to come in,'' Hal grumbled as she shook her head dismissively. She closed the door behind her and followed Cabestan in the living room area.

''What do you want to talk about, Elena?'' She asked wearily as she settled herself in the red sofa, right in front of the law professor who took place in a large black leather armchair.

''Near and Mello.'' The criminologist let out in a sigh as she crossed her legs.

''Of course,'' was Lidner's dry statement as she folded her hands together. ''What is it about Mello and Near that you wish to talk about?''

''Actually, I discovered something quite...interesting,'' Cabestan began in an enigmatic voice.

Hal Lidner arched a quizzical eyebrow. Elena smirked at her as she leant forward, as if to share a dark secret no one should know of.

''Near cares deeply for Mello,'' she announced. ''But now, the question is: how much does he care for him? I need to find the answer to that specific question before I try anything else.''

''And...how are you going to proceed?'' The blonde asked hesitantly, already suspicious of Cabestan's ideas.

''I have a plan for that, but it's kinda risky and twisted. But it might work. In fact, I would say it has approximately sixty percent chance to work.''

''Oh please, Elena,'' Lidner chuckled. ''Now you start speaking like _him_.''

The french woman laughed lightheartedly. ''Well, maybe spending almost all my time with that weirdo caused him to rub off on me!''

''I suppose. So, what is your plan?'' Hal cut the joke short.

''Yes, my plan.'' Elena regained focus on the serious matters. ''Basically, my plan consists in testing L's affection towards Mello.''

Lidner frowned in confusion. ''And what kind of test will that be?''

At her greatest surprise, a smug smile graced the criminologist's red lips. ''That, I can't tell you yet. I'm just warning you, Hal. What I am about to do during the following days might change a lot of things, especially for L, so I need you to be _very_ attentive to L's behavior because that will give us the answer we seek.''

''But what is the answer we seek, exactly?''

Elena's defiant smile widened as she stood up and looked down at Lidner, her hazel eyes shining with mystery.

''L's feelings,'' she explained eventually. ''That's the answer we need. And once we have that, we'll be able to carry out the plan to the next step.'' She scoffed as she spotted Hal's inquiring gaze. ''Testing Mello's feelings towards Near, of course.''

She circled the rectangular coffee table to place herself right before Lidner who was still sitting in her comfy red velvet sofa.

''But why testing Near's feelings before Mello's, you may ask.'' The SPM agent nodded in agreement as the lawyer went on with her explanation. ''Well, that's because it's far more easy to understand Mello's emotions than Near's. And from what I've seen so far, Mello's affection towards Near is more than obvious.''

Lidner gaped at her in awe. ''But Mello had made it very clear that he hates Near more than—''

Cabestan shook her head, interrupting the older woman in her attempt at contradiction. ''It doesn't matter. Hate is a kind of affection. It's just a negative one. Love, hate, it doesn't matter. It leads to the same thing in the end... Obsession.''

For once, Hal Lidner was reduced to silence.

 _That is the very first time I hear someone wording it that way. You surely have an odd way of analyzing emotions, Elena Cabestan. But that is the reason why you have caught_ _Near's_ _attention in the first place, isn't it?_

''So the probability that Mello does have a special affinity for Near is quite high. There would be almost no reason to prove it since I am already certain of its existence. Thus, we need to prove Near's affection before, because the chances are less likely. Moreover, if the test doesn't work out and if we don't get the answer we're looking for, we'll still be able to use Mello's feelings in order to bring Near to admit his. I mean, all we'll have to do is tell Near about Mello's feelings towards him, and it should create a reaction, one way or another, because Mello is the only one who can provoke any reaction out of him. And then, we'll have all the proofs we need. But if we were to do it the other way around, it would not work because Mello would never let himself be manipulated by the mention of Near's affections towards him for he would never believe it without a proof. Whereas...'' Elena paused as a confident smile tugged at her scarlet lips.

Lidner looked up at her, blue eyes locking with brown. She smiled as understanding finally strucked her. ''Whereas we would have no problem manipulating Near into believing Mello holds an affection— whatever it is— towards him because Mello is far more demonstrative than Near, and Near has absolutely no clue about human emotions anyway.'' She supplied as she followed Elena's reasoning.

''Exactly.''

''But there is still something that I don't quite understand, Elena...'' Lidner said quietly as she looked down, lost in thought.

''Which is?''

''Why are you doing this?'' She glanced up at the golden-haired woman. ''Why are you trying so hard to understand them both? After all, you're only paid to understand and find Mello and yet, you're trying to understand Near, Mello, their past, their feelings, their desires, their emotions, _everything_. It was as if you were trying to...reconcile them. Bring them together. But you know it is a vain cause. So why?''

As Cabestan crossed her arms on her chest, pursing her lips, Lidner stood up to stand at the professor's level.

''What I mean is, after all, it is none of your business. You could focus on your job and let them handle their disagreements on their own. But no. You're involving yourself more than you should. You're helping them resolving their conflict. Why be so engaged in that cause that isn't even yours? Why, Elena?'' Hal pronounced each word almost desperately as she took a step towards the lawyer who never averted her eyes, even when their faces were barely a few inches apart.

''Because...'' Elena whispered as she reached up to brush her fingertips against the other woman's cheek. ''I once saw what a screwed relationship could do to a young, beautiful man. That extinguished, hollow glint in his eyes, that cold, empty, mournful tone in his voice, that weariness and apathy in his every moves...'' A mirthless sneer contrasted with the gleam of sadness in her eyes.

''He hid it so well that probably no one ever noticed, not even his girlfriend. And it was making it all the more pitiful. I am an expert. Deciphering emotions within those who hide it the best, that's my job. So _I_ noticed. I knew how to listen to the silence, I knew how to see through the ice façade and how to read between the lines. He never admitted it, but he was broken. That sight never left my mind since then. The sight of misery and remorse. Even now, some nights, I can still see it when I close my eyes. And it reminds me of one thing.''

She withdrew her hand as she lowered her gaze, curling up her slightly trembling fingers around Lidner's collar.

''I never want to see that again. _Never_.'' She breathed.

Then she seemed to tear herself off of her memories as her indifference mask was put back on her stony features.

''That is why.'' She raised her head to meet Hal's blue eyes. ''It was too late for that man. I couldn't do anything for him. But now I can. I can do something for L. I can do something for Mello. I can help them. I can _save_ them.'' Her bright eyes lightened as a glint of determination filled the warm almond orbs.

''I won't let them destroy themselves. I will repair what I couldn't repair. It's not too late for them. But they will never make it by themselves, we know it, we know them. They are too proud, too stubborn, too obsessed...'' She shook her head as her grip on Lidner's blazer tightened.

''They will never face the truth, unless we make them. And that's exactly what I'm gonna do. I know nobody ever succeeded in that task before, not even their idol, L, nor their common enemy, Kira, but I don't care. I can, and I _will_.'' She pulled on the black fabric, drawing Lidner's face even closer.

The former C.I.A. agent could do nothing but stare at the younger woman in utter admiration and bewilderment, speechless. She couldn't help but think that fiery side of the french woman was only making her even more attractive.

''No one succeeded because no one had the means to do so. But _I_ do. No one was willing to lose themselves into that impossible challenge. But _I_ am. I will do the impossible,'' she murmured against Lidner's lips.

''I will bring Mello and Near together, whatever it costs.''

* * *

''L, I got the listing of all the thirteen year old girls who live in New York, except from the Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn as you said, and whose initials are N.M.'' Rester declared triumphantly as he entered the headquarters.

Gevanni, Lidner and Cabestan spun their wheel chair around in unison to face the other SPM agent. Near didn't even raise his head from his Legos.

''How many potential victims does this make, Rester?''

''Sixty-nine.''

''Hm, interesting...'' All the eyes turned towards the voice who spoke so blatantly. The owner of the voice, however, only smirked.

''How is it interesting, Miss Cabestan?'' L asked in genuine curiosity.

Lidner hid her face in her hands. _Damn, Elena. Do you never shut your mouth?_

Rester and Gevanni shot a reproachful glance at the criminologist, as if to say, ''Don't you dare explaining that to him and crush his innocence once again, you mad woman!'' In response, Cabestan smiled innocently.

''Oh, nothing, L. Really.'' She waved her hand. ''I was just thinking aloud.''

''Alright.'' Near placed another Lego brick on his construction. ''Rester, did you ask for the listing of the children whose home are situated on the imaginary circle arc which passes through all the previous crime scenes and whose center is the SPM headquarters?''

''Yes, L.'' The commandant nodded. ''I did as you asked.''

''Very well. Miss Cabestan, where do you think Mello will strike next? What place could become the fourth murder scene, according to you?''

''Hm...'' The french woman clicked on her mouse, displaying a New York map on her computer screen. ''I would say the next crime will most probably occur in Staten Island if we follow the circle arc, because it's the only main district where Mello didn't strike yet, and its habitants are a little bit more rich than those from the Queens. So it would match Mello's modus operandi. I suppose there's at least one potential victim living there, isn't it?''

''I agree. We know Mello only strikes in the area situated on the circle arc including the three first murder scenes. He chooses his victims following a criteria of both crescent age and life conditions. Therefore, Staten Island would be the perfect place because of its location and its wealth.'' L stated in his deadpan voice. ''Moreover, we now know that there is precisely one thirteen year old girl whose initials are N.M. living in Staten Island.'' He placed a Lego brick thoughtfully on his already high tower. ''Consequently, Miss Cabestan, you are going to pay a visit to that child and protect her in case Mello had planned to target her. So you will go to-'' He stretched his hand up without bothering to gaze above his shoulder to check if his move had received acknowledgement. ''Rester, please.'' The blonde man held the stack of paper towards him. Near grabbed it and read through the potential victims' names. ''Natalie Morin's house.''

Elena froze in her seat. She swallowed hardly.

 _Of course. This girl is french. This can't be a coincidence. It's a direct provocation...towards me. Mello knows I am french, so he will kill that kid just to affect me. I am sure of it._

''You leave now, Miss Cabestan.'' Near's plain voice interrupted her train of thoughts.

The lawyer rose from her chair and walked towards the white-haired detective crouched on the floor. She kneeled in front of him.

''L, according to Mello's modus operandi, _when_ will he strike next?'' She inquired quietly.

Eventually, Near looked up, allowing his bottomless dark orbs to lock with Cabestan's. ''He strikes every thirteen days. The last time he struck was...thirteen days ago.''

Elena gritted her teeth. ''I see.'' She put her head down.

''Rester, please.'' The young detective called again, reaching up. The older man put a small card in his hand which Near grasped in his skinny fingers and gave straight to Elena.

The criminologist frowned as she took the card and examined it.

 _F.B.I. Naomi Misora._ She smiled as she read the perfect printed dark letters. _Of course. I inherited of my predecessor's name. The former L's truthworthy agent._

She straightened up as she hung the card to her black jacket. ''Okay, L. I will be your Naomi Misora.'' She said smoothly.

Near gazed up as a tiny smirk crept across his blank face. ''Thank you, Miss Cabestan.'' Then he focused back on his Lego construction as he spoke coldly. ''Lidner, Gevanni, you will both go to one of the potential victims' house. Lidner, you will go to the second one, Gevanni to the third one on the listing. Rester, you will call the F.B.I. director on my behalf. You will tell him I need his full collaboration in order to catch a dangerous serial killer. You will ask for the deployment of 65 agents who will be sent to the 65 remaining victims' homes. Then you will drive to the fourth victim's house on the list.'' He added another brick to his tower, as his pale lips opened once again.

''Miss Cabestan, please take the car key which is on the desk, right next to Gevanni's computer.''

Elena did as she was told while all the SPM members already went about their business. Commandant Rester was sitting in front of a screen, busy making all the required phone calls. Lidner and Gevanni had both found and stored their missions' location and were heading towards the swinging doors.

''Miss Cabestan, since the probability that Mello will attack Natalie Morin is about ninety-eight pourcent, I will ask Rester to summon help once you arrive there.'' Near said neutrally. ''Some armed F.B.I. agents shall join you in your task, so you can rest assured that you won't be harmed in the process.''

The young woman smiled slightly and, without bothering to turn around, she responded calmly. ''Thank you, L. But that won't be necessary.''

 _I know Mello will be there, L. I know the risks. But I can't allow some F.B.I. agents to ruin my plan._

She couldn't see as the detective's eyes widened in puzzlement. ''Alright, do as you please.''

Cabestan nodded as she followed her colleagues' steps.

''Good luck everyone,'' came L's final line.

But he got no answer.

The three agents exited the working room. Gevanni went in the elevator without another word, but Hal Lidner stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned towards the french lawyer.

''Elena, I hope you know what you're doing...'' She began, her voice lower than usual.

The younger woman took a step forward and pressed her hand on Hal's cheek. ''It's okay, Lidner,'' she answered in a soothing voice. ''Someone has to do this. _I_ have to do this. I am not afraid, and you shouldn't be either.''

''But, Elena, you know it is highly probable that Mello will attack Natalie Morin, so why didn't you accept the F.B.I. help? This is dangerous, you don't know Mello, you don't know what he's capable of. He has been a mafia leader, he handles many kinds of weapons, he—''

Elena Cabestan cut her off as she leant forward to brush her lips against the blonde's cheek. ''Don't worry yourself, Hal,'' she whispered against her skin, warm breath stroking her ear. ''If everything goes according to plan, I should be back in a few days.'' She pulled back slowly under Lidner's shocked gaze. Before she could leave, Hal grabbed her hand and held it tightly in hers.

''Elena, what did you get yourself into?'' She asked, almost desperately.

The criminologist winked at her as she bent her head to kiss the older woman's knuckles in a graceful gesture.

''Nothing that I can't handle, _darling_.''

She let go of her hand while she took a step backwards.

Hal gasped in confusion as she pressed her own hand against her chest. Before she could say a single word, Elena Cabestan had vanished into thin air.

The former C.I.A. agent sighed deeply as she pushed the elevator button.

 _Elena, what is your plan?_

* * *

In the working room, L was watching the camera screens in silence. He saw Elena Cabestan placing a soft kiss on Lidner's cheek and then on her hand, but he couldn't quite figure out why she was doing that at that very moment. What were the two women talking about? Why did this look like a goodbye?

Hal Lidner then walked inside of the lift and disappeared from his sight.

He reached up to twirl a white lock of hair around his index finger as he eyed his Lego construction blankly.

''L, what is happening between Lidner and Cabestan?'' The steady voice of the commandant Rester interrupted his contemplation of his toys.

''Rester.''

''Yes, L?''

''Do I look like I understand how women's hearts are working?''

''Uh...well, not really, but—'' The agent sputtered.

''Precisely. From now on, please refrain from asking me such foolish questions.'' He ordered coolly.

Rester averted his gaze, clearing his throat. ''Yes, sir.''

Then he left, ready to fulfil his mission of surveillance of the fourth Mello's potential victims.

As he was finally alone in the dark room, Near sighed. He raised a hand, then he flicked his finger on the Lego tower. The construction fell apart on the cold ground.

 _Miss Cabestan, what are you playing at?_

 _Mello..._

 _What are you up to?_

* * *

She arrived at the doorstep of a small, pretty mansion made of grey stone. A traditional Staten Island architecture. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She heard light and hurry footsteps, and the wooden door opened to reveal a young girl with ebony hair and saphir blue eyes.

Elena Cabestan smiled warmly as she held her false badge towards the child.

''Hi, I am part of the F.B.I. I am here to protect you.'' The young girl was staring at her wide-eyed. Then an idea crossed the lawyer's mind.

'' _Tu parles français?_ (Do you speak french?)'' She asked in french. The girl nodded shyly. '' _Très bien._ (Very well.)'' She spoke softly as she kneeled before the potential future victim. '' _Tu es en danger, Natalie. Je suis du F.B.I. On m'a envoyée pour te protéger. Regarde mon badge. Je m'appelle Naomi Misora._ (You're in danger, Natalie. I am part of the F.B.I. I have been sent here to protect you. Look at my badge. My name is Naomi Misora.)''

'' _V-Vous êtes là pour me protéger? M-Mais...qu'est-ce qu'il va m'arriver?_ (Y-You're here to protect me? B-But...what's gonna happen to me?)'' The dark-haired kid stuttered in fear, her little hands shaking.

'' _Rien tant que je suis ici. S'il te plaît, Natalie, laisse-moi entrer. Je dois vérifier que toutes les issues sont correctement fermées._ (Nothing as long as I'm here. Please, Natalie, let me in. I have to check if all the exits are correctly locked.)''

Hesitantly, the child stepped aside, letting the woman enter her house. The criminologist flashed her a soothing smile. Natalie Morin locked the door once the visitor was inside the hall.

'' _Merci, Natalie. Maintenant pourrais-tu m'indiquer où se trouvent toutes les portes et fenêtres dans ta maison?_ (Thank you, Natalie. Now could you please tell me where are all the doors and windows in your house?)'' She turned towards the young girl.

Natalie walked passed her and headed towards the end of the corridor which seemed to lead to a grand living-room.

'' _Suivez-moi._ (Follow me.)'' She said. When she reached the spacious room, the girl froze.

'' _Natalie, qu'est-ce qu'il y a?_ (Natalie, what's wrong?)'' Elena's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the motionless child.

'' _L-Les baies vitrées... Elles...elles n'étaient pas ouvertes tout à l'heure!_ (T-The bay windows... They...they weren't opened earlier!)'' Natalie muttered in dread.

Cabestan gasped in shock as she spotted the curtains floating in the air, the glass wings completely pulled aside, letting the fresh evening wind penetrating the house. A chill rolled down her spine.

'' _Natalie, recule._ (Natalie, step back.)'' The french woman murmured as quietly as possible, her brown eyes still fixed on the opened windows. '' _Reste près de moi et écoute tout ce que je vais te dire. Je connais la personne qui est entrée chez toi. Si tu fais tout ce que je te dis, il ne t'arrivera rien. Surtout ne panique pas et ne crie pas, peu importe ce qui arrivera. Je maîtrise parfaitement la situation. Mais tu dois me faire confiance._ (Stay close to me and listen to everything I'll tell you. I know the person who entered your house. If you do everything I say, nothing will happen to you. More importantly, don't panic and don't scream, no matter what happens. I am in perfect control of the situation. But you need to trust me.)''

Very slowly, the young girl moved backwards until her back hit the golden-haired woman's chest. At lightning speed, Elena grabbed Natalie's shoulders and shifted the child behind her as she took a firm hold on her tiny hand.

She let her badge fall on the ground.

She took a few cautious steps forward until she arrived at the middle of the room, surrounded by huge black and white chairs and sofas. Suddenly, a small black object caught her attention.

A check piece laid on the glass table. Alone.

 _The White Queen._

The criminologist frowned slightly. _What does that mean? Another game, right?_

She sighed deeply.

 _I am done playing._

 _And so is Near._

She pressed a hand against her ear where a headset was covered by her large curls.

''L, Mello is here.'' She whispered.

 _ **[Well done, Miss Cabestan. Now you will—]**_

She didn't even let him finish his sentence as she ripped the earpiece off her ear and threw it towards the opened windows. The black device landed on the grass in the garden.

She bent her head to the side in order to talk to the young girl who was still clutched to her.

'' _Quand je te le dirai, tu courras vers la fenêtre et tu t'enfuiras par le jardin. Tu as compris?_ (When I'll tell you, you will run towards the window and escape through the garden. Do you understand?)''

Natalie Morin nodded her head in silence. Cabestan turned around with the child still pressed to her back to face the entry of the living-room.

''Quit playing and show yourself, Mello.'' She called loudly, her voice deadly cold.

A tense silence overwhelmed the dark room enlightened only with thin rays of the New York setting sun coming from the windows behind her.

Then a hoarse, low voice came from the opposite side of the room.

''Finally I meet you, _Naomi Misora_.'' The voice said with pure irony.

 _How does he know my cover name?_ She wondered as she tried to see something, anything, in the darkest part of the room. Finally she managed to distinguish a slender figure wearing what looked like a thick black coat. The hooded silhouette held a small white card which reflected the red dying sunlight.

 _Of course, he picked up my badge._

''The pleasure is mine, Mello.'' She replied dryly.

Another silence took over the room during which Natalie's body stiffened and curled up against the young woman's back even tighter.

''Let Natalie Morin go, Mello.'' She offered eventually. ''You know this is not about her, nor about any other child. This is about you and Near. Killing that girl won't make things any better, and you know it. So stop it now, before it's too late.''

 _I need to divert his attention so Natalie can escape. But how...?_

She was interrupted by a typical _'click'_. She raised her head slowly to discover a black gun pointed at her in the grasp of a thin gloved hand.

 _Perfect._ She thought bitterly.

''It's already too late. I can't go back.'' A husky growl emerged from the darkness.

 _Right. So I need to find something to say. Like **now**. Something that will catch him off guard. Something that will tickle his curiosity enough to make him forget about Natalie, but without angering him. If I attack him directly, he'll just pull the trigger, and that's definitely not an option. So I need something enough disturbing to pin him in place..._

 _But what could do the trick?_

 _What could I say...?_

She smirked shamelessly.

 _Of course. I need to exploit his only weakness._

 _I need to talk about the only taboo subject._

 _Near._

She felt a small hesitation emanating from the figure dissimulating in the dark. Mello was probably confused to see her so confident despite the rather problematic situation she was currently in.

She tightened her grip on the young girl's hand to warn her that she had to get ready for something was going to happen in the next few seconds. The child shook her hand in return. She had understood.

 _Very well. Now go ahead, Elena. Tell him the most destabilising thing you can think of._

''Of course you can go back.'' She affirmed steadily. ''Just come with me to the headquarters. You risk absolutely nothing. L doesn't want to hand you over to the police anyway!'' She laughed sarcastically. ''L would rather die than give you to the police, actually.''

''W-What? Near doesn't want to bring me to justice?!'' The man inquired throatily, though disbelief and distrust could be easily heard in his voice.

He obviously didn't believe one single word that left the lawyer's clever mouth, but at least he was intrigued. That was all Elena Cabestan was waiting for. She had won.

''No, he doesn't.'' She shook her head. ''He didn't admit it explicitly, of course. But he always words it the same way: ''All I want is to find Mello.'' ''I don't want to catch him, I want to understand him.'' ''Mello is not like any criminal, I don't want to bring him to court.'' See? He doesn't want you to be arrested, he doesn't even want you to get a trial!'' Cabestan purposely added a hint of disdain in her already mocking voice.

''Bullshit! Near wants Justice more than anything, he would never do that!'' His voice was getting more loud and threatening, but also more hesitant.

 _That's it, Mello. Forget about Natalie Morin. Forget about Elena Cabestan. Forget about Naomi Misora._

 _Think about **him**._

 _Only him._

 _ **Near.**_

 _His dark eyes. His white clothes. His white locks. His white hands. His pale skin. His pale lips..._

''You really think L wants Justice?'' She snorted. ''Come on, Mello! You're more clever than that. L wants nothing other than win. Just like his predecessor, right? Childish and hates to lose, uh? The first L was no better than you, and neither is _Near_. Just think about it. After all, he doesn't have to get you arrested to win. All he has to do is to catch you and...keep you for himself.'' She saw Mello's whole body tense at those words. Her smile widened as she added slyly. ''Yes, it's that simple. That's his victory. That's what Near really wants. _You_.''

''W-What did you just say?!'' The man sputtered in a raspy voice. He lowered his hand very slightly, but that was enough for Elena.

She yelled with all her strength. '' _Natalie, COURS!_ (Natalie, RUN!)''

The young girl reacted immediately. Her hand left Cabestan's and a few seconds later, the teenager had disappeared behind the curtains.

A howl of pure rage and frustration made itself heard right next to Elena's ear. She gasped as she felt cold metal pressed against her temple. She sighed, shutting her eyes.

''You tricked me, you bitch!'' Mello spat spitefully.

 _Yeah, now he may be a little mad... But at least, the girl is safe. And if everything goes according to plan, he won't shoot me._

''I'm sorry, Mello,'' she apologized almost genuinely. ''I had to save the girl. I couldn't let another child die pointlessly. But we both know you weren't there for Natalie Morin, were you?''

''Oh, really?'' He rasped. ''And why am I here then, _Elena Cabestan_?''

''You're here for—'' She paused as she looked down at the table where the tiny white chess piece still stood, untouched. ''For...''

 _The Queen._

 _Alone._

 _Without the other pieces._

 _Why?_

 _Because he doesn't have the other pawns._

 _Because..._

 _Of course!_

 _Someone has the other pawns._

 _Near._

 _Near has all the pawns, except for the Queen._

 _Mello stole his Queen._

 _It's all symbolic, of course, but..._

Her eyes almost popped out of her head as she suddenly realized the true meaning of all this macabre scene.

''The pawn.'' She said quietly. ''You're here for the pawn.''

''Very well, Cabestan!'' Mello slowly bent down without looking away from his hostage. He retrieved the pawn which he held in his skinny gloved hand. He glanced down at the pawn for a second. The criminologist could see half of his face hidden under his black hood. Blonde bangs, blue empty eyes, and a great, tortuous scar spreading from his forehead to his neck.

 _He has been seriously burnt. Why am I not surprised?_

Mello gazed up, cold blue eyes locked with bright almond. He smirked joylessly.

''You're the pawn, Cabestan.'' He stated darkly as he seized her forearm sharply. ''And you're coming with me.'' The man dragged the lawyer towards the house entry, still pressing his weapon to her head. She didn't even try to struggle.

When they arrived outside, she spotted a huge motorcycle parked right next to the doorstep. Mello slid a hand beneath his coat and took a pair of handcuffs out of his pockets. He tied his left hand with Elena's. He pulled on the chain until they reached his vehicle.

He grabbed a helmet which he placed on the woman's head roughly. He put on his and then settled on the motorcycle seat. Without a word, the professor followed him obediently and sat behind him.

He stretched a hand above his shoulder. In his gloved fingers, right before Elena's eyes, was the white pawn.

''Looks like Near just lost his Queen...''

The engine hummed loudly, the motorcycle started right away.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

Thank you for reading!

Yes, Elena is in deep shit. And no, I am not sorry. xP

 **Next chapter: Near's reasoning leads him to a disturbing conclusion, while Mello tries to get Elena to talk about Near.**

 **Please follow and review if you like that story, it would mean a lot.**

Bye bye, humans!

 _ **C.**_


	11. The White Queen

**_New York City M.N. Murder Case_**

 **Chapter 11: The White Queen**

 ** _Croc._**

She sighed deeply as she stared at the yellowed damaged ceiling.

 ** _Croc._**

She shut her eyes as she tried to find a more comfortable position on the tiny spare bed, causing the mattress to grind horribly.

 ** _Croc._**

She shifted position, turning her back at the origin of the insufferable noise as she faced the blank wall.

 ** _Croc._**

She managed to keep her cool from the outside, but the truth was, on the inside, she was ranting with rage.

 _Just ignore it_ , she told herself. _Just ignore it and pretend to fall asleep..._

''Cabestan.'' A hoarse voice called in her back. ''I know you're not sleeping.''

All of a sudden, Elena Cabestan straightened up in a jolt, sitting on what served her as a bed, glaring at Mello who was lazily sprawled over a brown miserable, tattered couch, biting at a chocolate bar, his empty blue orbs fixed on her.

''Will you stop harassing me for at least five minutes, Mello?!'' She bursted out. ''You kidnapped me, you took me away from L, and now you have his major asset! He can't make any progress without me! Are you not satisfied?!''

''Hm...'' The blonde man looked down at his snack absently, feigning to think. ''No.'' He smirked at her as she rolled her eyes, letting herself fall flat on her back.

He bit in his candy.

 ** _Croc._**

''You see, Cabestan. I didn't kidnap you just for your good looks and pleasant company. I kidnaped you to get informations. And you're gonna give me those informations, whether you like it or not.'' He declared coldly.

''Fine!'' She spread her arms in defeat as she sat up again, facing her tormentor. ''What do you want to know?''

''Why did he hire you?'' Mello asked as he leant forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, his piercing eyes boring into the lawyer.

''I don't know exactly.'' She shrugged nonchalantly. ''He saw some of my meetings about obsession crimes, and then I guess he—''

''No.'' He held an authoritative hand at her as he cut her off sharply. ''I know why he _chose_ you That's not my question, Cabestan. I wanna know why he needs you to find me.''

''Well, that's because he has no clue about human interactions, so—''

''No, no, no.'' He interrupted her once again, shaking his head impatiently. ''Let me make this perfectly clear, Cabestan. I know Near's weaknesses. I've known him since he was five, alright? I know he doesn't have a clue about emotions, that's precisely why I'm doing this. I'm exploiting his weakness to beat him. Now my question is: why does he want to understand me? Why does he want to find me?''

''Oh.'' The french woman looked down at her hands.

 _Okay, now I need to find a fucking good answer!_

''Well, I think— I mean, I recently found out that...'' She took a deep breath as she let out. ''Near cares about you.''

This time, Mello didn't cut her off. Instead he was staring at her in awe, his thin lips twitching with shock. She shot a glance at him.

''I cannot say how yet, but I can say he does care about you. When I told him so, he didn't even beg to differ. So I've come to the conclusion that his feelings for you — whatever they are — made him want to understand you, because you're not a mere criminal to him. As you said, you both know each other since your very childhood. He just can't treat you as a common serial killer he never met nor heard of before. He can't be objective on that case, and I can tell he definitely isn't! He isn't even trying actually.'' She laughed mirthlessly.

''In fact, if he were truly fighting for Justice, he would have withdrawn from the case by himself, because it's obvious he can't think clearly as far as you're concerned. But we all know it's not about Justice.''

She snorted as she spotted a discrete smile tugging at Mello's lips.

''Indeed.''

''So, first of all, I think he chose to contact me in order to have someone by his side who will stay objective no matter what. And then...''

Cabestan gazed up at the all black-dressed man in front of her hesitantly.

 _You really need me to voice it aloud, Mello? You can't admit it to yourself, can you?_

''Most of all, I think he asked for my help because of my skills in the area of emotions. He knew I could help him decipher all your messages and therefore, understand you. Why does he want to understand you?'' She sighed again.

Mello frowned slightly, but remained silent.

''Well,'' she went on, answering her rhetorical question, ''he wants to understand you because he is curious. You're the only mystery he never managed to solve. He can't even imagine your thoughts, your desires, your fears, your joys, everything that makes you, well, _you._ All he knows is what you spent your whole life repeating him, that is to say, that you hate him and want to beat him. But he wants to know more, because you're not a simple murderer, you're not Kira, nor B. He is curious because he cares. He doesn't want to arrest you like the others simply because _you are not_ like the others. You are Mello, he knows you and he cares about you. So what you feel and what you think matter. Your emotions matter. And since he can't understand what he wants to understand, he called me, and...'' she gestured towards herself wearily, ''... Here I am!''

Mello sat back against the sofa as he took another bite of his dark chocolate, crossing his legs.

 ** _Croc._**

''Hm-hm...'' He mused. ''I see.'' He stated quietly as his rose lips curved into a smirk. ''So Near _cares_... Interesting.''

''Yeah.'' Elena nodded as she yawned loudly. She would gladly fall into a dreamless sleep at this instant, but now curiosity had won over her. She _had_ to ask. ''Mello?''

''What?''

''Why do you want to beat Near so badly?''

The chilling stare she got from him turned her blood to ice but Mello seemed to got a hold on himself rather quickly and his murdering eyes softened slightly.

''Because I want to prove him I am better than him,'' he spat, suddenly averting her gaze.

She allowed herself an amused smile. ''You're lying, Mello. We both know you're not better than him. You're his perfect equal. So this is not what I'm asking. I want to know why you want to beat him so badly, even when you know you can't?''

The blonde gritted his teeth until his jawline turned to white. The criminologist's first thought was that he was going to jump on her and strangle her, but eventually, he raised his gaze, blue translucent eyes meeting warm brown.

''Because I want him to acknowledge my existence.'' He said, his voice lower than usual. ''I want him to notice me. I want this _fucking_ emotionless asshole to finally recognize my true value! I want to get his attention, I want to get his...his—'' He stopped as his eyes suddenly gleamed with anger. He clenched his fists. ''Argh! Don't look at me like that, you idiot!'' He yelled as he pointed a finger at the french lawyer. ''I don't wanna talk about that, anyway! Just... just...'' He growled as he started pacing the tiny room.

He focused his attention on his hostage as he snapped. ''Just go to sleep, Cabestan! You're pissing me off!''

''Okay.'' The professor agreed indifferently as she lay down on her miserable bed and closed her eyes.

She still could hear and feel Mello's wrath when she curled up under her sheets. He had probably returned to his computer to calm himself. She turned towards the wall as she sighed deeply.

 _Can't you see, Mello?_

 _You have always been his centre of attention._

 _You have always had his attention, so what else do you want?_

 _You want his recognition? His respect?_

 _Or perhaps you want something more unreachable, which would explain your sudden outburst..._

 _Yeah, that's it._

 _Oh, Mello. You want so much more..._

 _You want his **affection** , don't you, Mello?_

* * *

"I believe Miss Cabestan has been kidnaped by Mello." An empty voice broke the unbearable silence which overwhelmed the headquarters.

Anthony Rester and Stephen Gevanni turned towards the snow-haired boy. Hal Lidner walked to his computer desk and stood right behind him, hands on her hips.

"Very well!" She claimed angrily, a clear hint of sarcasm in her voice. ''And what are we going to do about it?"

Near didn't bother to turn around to confront the blonde's burning gaze.

"Absolutely nothing."

"Excuse me?"

The world's greatest detective sighed lightly as he raised a hand, placing a white pawn on the chess board lying on the desk before him.

"You heard me perfectly, Lidner. We cannot do anything for Miss Cabestan.''

''But L, you know Mello. If he kidnaped her, then he will try to get informations out of her, just like he did for Kiomi Takada. But this time, Kira won't be there to save her from torture! You know Mello is capable of anything in order to win. He will use any means to get what he wants. He will do anything to force her to talk about _you_! Elena is in danger, and it's because of _you_! She took some risks for you, I have no idea what she's planning, but I know she's doing it for _you_!'' She howled as she gradually lost control. ''She told me she would bring you and Mello together, no matter the cost. But if you let her die in Mello's hands now, then she won't be able to help you, and all of that will be for naught! You can't just let her down, Near!''

At the general surprise, the young man spun his chair around to face the flustered SPM agent, a white chess pawn still pressed into his palm.

''Lidner, you will not address me like that ever again, nor will you tell me what to do. I am the one who commands here, please do remind that,'' he began, his voice deadly cold. ''However, I am willing to forbid this little altercation, considering your current disturbed state of mind due to the unfortunate disappearance of Miss Elena Cabestan.''

''What? But that's not—''

Near shook his head, blank curls dancing above his forehead, implicitly requesting for silence.

''Your personal thoughts are out of the question, Lidner.'' He placed the tiny pawn under his dark scrutinizing eyes, examining it from top to bottom. ''Even though, I wish to make it very clear to you: I am _not_ letting Miss Cabestan down. Not in the slightest. I am merely saying that we are not trying anything to take her back from Mello.''

''But why, L?'' Gevanni asked in genuine confusion.

''Because, as Lidner rightfully pointed out, I know Mello very well. That is why I know that he won't use force against Miss Cabestan in order to get the informations he seeks.''

''But yet,'' the dark-haired man objected firmly, ''when he and the mafia detained the Japanese police commissionner, they—''

''Yes,'' the detective cut him off right away. ''But Miss Cabestan is no police commissionner, and the main difference between the commissionner Katamura and Miss Cabestan is that Katamura would rather die than give any informations about the Japanese Kira task force, while Miss Cabestan would not.''

''What do you mean?'' Lidner frowned deeply.

''What I mean, Lidner,'' L said wearily as he put the chess piece on his bent knee, ''is that, contrary to Katamura, Miss Cabestan will reveal everything she knows about the SPM, and more precisely about _me_ , before Mello can lay a hand on her.''

''You truly have a low opinion of her, don't you?'' The blonde woman sighed in exasperation.

''On the contrary, Lidner.'' Near tilted his head to the side as his unreadable gaze bore into Hal's bright eyes. ''I placed all my trust in Miss Cabestan, that is the reason why we won't try to bring her back to the headquarters, for I am not willing to undermine her plans.''

''What in the hell are you talking about, Near?'' She spread her arms in frustration. ''She has been kidnaped, what bloody plan could she have?!''

Unexpectedly, the boy's bloodless lips curled up into a smirk as he placed the chess piece on a black case.

''Oh, but Lidner, you forgot one very important detail,'' he declared in a honeyed tone. ''To be kidnaped, one must be taken _unwillingly...''_

''W-What?''

''Yes, Lidner, you understood me. Miss Cabestan had foreseen Mello's actions and she simply let him have his way. If her intentions by doing so remain quite unclear to me, at least one thing is certain.''

He paused as he bent his head down, staring at the chess board blankly.

''Miss Cabestan wanted Mello to kidnap her.'' He stated emotionlessly as he threw the white piece down with a flick of his finger. ''Therefore, Miss Cabestan has _not_ been kidnaped.

''What? But that is nonsense, Near! You saw the camera images from the Morin's mansion, he was pointing a gun at her, she didn't have the choice!''

''Yes, I did. That was indeed what Miss Cabestan wanted us to believe. But if you remember well, Miss Cabestan asked me not to call the F.B.I. to assist her. Once on scene, she disregarded her headset when she knew Mello was there. She didn't want my help nor my instructions anymore. And when Mello brought her outside to his motorcycle, she didn't even try to struggle. Think about it, Lidner, all she did there was meant to easy Mello's task.''

At loss of words, Hal looked down, pursing her lips. She tried to remind of Elena's last words to her.

'' _Someone has to do this. **I** have to do this.''_

 _''If everything goes according to plan, I should be back in a few days.''_

 _Of course._

 _How could I be so blind?_

Lidner clenched her fists as fury suddenly filled her every cells.

 _She knew what was going to happen. She was prepared. She had planned it all along!_

 _And she didn't tell me. She probably knew I would try to change her mind..._

 _But still, she should have told me! Why didn't she?_

 _Elena, what did you get yourself into?_

'' _Nothing that I can't handle, **darling**.''_

She shook her head in disbelief.

''I see you finally realize what I am telling you is true.'' A voice devoid of any compassion interrupted her course of thought.

''Yes.'' She whispered almost reluctantly.

''Very well, then you now understand why I consider useless to interfere and try to get Miss Cabestan back.''

''Yes.''

''Alright. Thus all we will have to do is wait until Miss Cabestan returns on her own.''

Without another word, Hal Lidner turned on her heels and left the room, letting the sliding doors shut behind her.

She didn't care what Near wanted to do.

Perhaps it would be better if Elena Cabestan never came back, after all.

* * *

''Y'know,'' a grumble escaped a mouth full of food, ''I'd have preferred being kidnaped by you in the first place.''

Mello spun his rolling chair around, glancing at the golden-haired woman eating the content of the small plastic box he had provided her like an ogre.

''What?''

''Well,'' she chewed her noodles greedily, ''the food you're giving me is far better than the one that infuriating old blonde man brings to the headquarters everyday. It's...'' She grinned in disgust as she remembered her previous meals. ''Tasteless, bland, insipid... And you don't have toys everywhere, also. Oh God! How I hate walking on small cars, puzzles, Lego constructions, dolls, robots, and so on, everywhere, every time! It's gross, and a bit gloomy. Last time, I almost twisted my ankle walking on a little train! Can you believe it? Plus, you're not testing me about everything, like every fucking five minutes! In fact, for a mafioso, you're quite cool.''

''What the hell, Cabestan?'' The younger man snarled, raising a hand at his temples in concealed exasperation. ''Are you just telling the man who threatened you with a gun, kidnaped you and tied you up to a bed that you actually... like him?''

''Hm, yes.'' Elena mused as she put the plastic fork into her mouth. ''Seems that I am.''

''You're crazy, Cabestan. I could gag you right now, you know?''

''Yeah, I guess you could.'' She shrugged in indifference. ''But please, just wait a minute after I finish this wonderful plate of noodles cause I'm really hungry, I feel like I didn't eat properly in days! After that, you can gag me, fasten my feet, hands, legs, arms and neck, knock me out, cut my fingers, rip my nails off or whatever you feel up to, but just let me _eat_! _''_

Mello couldn't suppress an amused chuckle as he laid his chin on his hand, staring at the french professor in amazement.

''You really have a great sense of humor. I bet Near can't understand one single joke of yours.''

''True. That's why I'm telling you I would rather be kidnaped by you. He's so serious, it's a bit tiring sometimes. You're far more open-minded, and I like open-minded people.''

''But maybe he's not that close-minded. Maybe he's more open-minded than you think...'' Mello said mysteriously as he lowered her gaze, looking down at the floor.

''What do you mean? How can he be more open-minded than I think?'' Cabestan tilted her head to the side, arching an eyebrow.

''I...'' He began hesitantly, then he shook his head. ''I don't know! I just said ' _maybe'_ he is.''

Elena smiled warmly. ''But you said that for a reason, didn't you? You can tell me, Mello. It's not like I will leave and go repeat it to someone else!'' She laughed sarcastically as she raised a hand, showing her wrist circled by an iron cuff linked to the headboard.

''But there's nothing to tell, I—'' He cried out as he stood up, taking one step towards the lawyer.

''Mello,'' she sighed, not at all worried by the boy's unexpected menacing attitude. ''You kidnaped me for a reason, right? You did it because you wanted the war to get more fair, and until now, it was unjust because Near was the only one who had someone to help him understand you, while you had no one to help you understand him in return. So you kidnaped me in order to rebalance the forces. You took his major asset! You took his Queen. You did the most strategic and important move. The _White Queen_.'' She gestured at the small chess piece placed in the corner of a small ruined coffee table, standing at the middle of the poor apartment.

''You have the advantage now. You have me, and he has no one. You wanna take his King and put him to checkmate? Fine! Then use your pawns. Use the Queen! Use _me_!'' She stretched her palms to the sky in an almost desperate motion. ''But I am useless if I don't know what happened exactly between you and Near. I want to help you, Mello, trust me, I do. But I can't do anything if you keep everything for yourself. Even Near got that...''

Mello's thin lips distorted into a distrustful, irritated wince as his eyebrows furrowed deeply.

''Fine.'' He spat disdainfully as he turned around and let himself fall into the sofa, resting his elbows on his leather-covered knees. ''I'll talk to you.'' He glared at the criminologist, icy blue eyes meeting bright brown.

''What do you wanna know?''

Cabestan put her pasta box aside and folded her hands together on her lap.

''Actually, there is one only thing I need to know for now. Tomorrow will be a different day, I'll ask you something else then. But for now, what I wish to know is...why are doing this? I mean killing children and giving back all the toys Near gave you in the past. Why leaving those toys behind you as clues? Why are you doing this? Why did you become a serial killer? Why didn't you come to him and simply gave him back all his playthings? _Why_ , Mello? And don't you dare telling me it's to beat him, because I don't believe you! So please, for once, tell me the truth.'' She watched him, her almond eyes almost pleading.

Mello didn't return her gaze as he sighed wearily.

''I'm doing this because... I knew if I didn't give him a case to solve, I'd never catch his attention, and he'd never try to understand how I really feel.''

The curled-haired woman widened her eyes in shock, her mouth falling open.

''But Mello...'' She whispered softly. ''He thought you were _dead_. How was he supposed to focus his attention on a dead man, and try to understand him? Unless he wished to suffer even more, he would never do that. No one would.''

''He didn't because he didn't care.'' He fought back harshly, stubbornly. ''Near doesn't care. He doesn't care about anything and anyone, even less me.'' He chuckled bitterly.

Cabestan reached up to place a hand under her chin, before she raised her head to observe the blonde man.

''Mello, was your so-called corpse buried after you were declared dead?'' She asked eventually.

''Yeah. In England, near Manchester.''

''I see.'' She nodded. ''During the year that followed the Kira case, did you ever go to the cemetery to see your grave?''

Unexpectedly, Mello's brows furrowed even deeper as he dug a hand in his hair, pulling a blonde strand away, his eyes twitching nervously.

''Yeah, I did.''

''What did you find there?''

''Two iris and dark chocolate bars.''

''Who knew about your death?''

''Probably Kira, the Japanese task force, and the SPK.''

''Do you think Kira or the Japanese task force would have gone to the cemetery and left flowers and chocolate on your grave?''

''No.''

''I agree. Then the only possibility is the SPK members. Do you know Gevanni, Rester and Lidner, Mello?''

''I know Lidner.''

Elena Cabestan flinched at that revelation but she didn't afford to let her trouble show since she had another issue to solve right now, and it was far more crucial than her foolish feelings.

''Did you have an affair with Hal Lidner?'' She spoke through gritted teeth, fighting against herself not to display her discomfort, thanking whatever God that might exist that Mello was not staring at her at the moment, but fixing the ground blankly like a puppet.

''No,'' he replied coldly. ''She was just sharing the SPK's informations with me, that's all.''

''Did you love her? Or did she love you?'' Elena inquired reluctantly.

''Of course not!'' He rolled his eyes.

''Do you think she would have visited your grave and left flowers and chocolate?''

''I... I don't know.''

''Well, let me enlighten you then.'' The lawyer declared, her voice more smooth and cheerful, causing the young man to shot her a questioning gaze. ''Lidner told me she never knew where you had been buried and, as soon as the Kira case ended, she returned to the United States, until Near called her back to investigate your case. So we can fairly assume Lidner never went to your grave.''

She interrupted herself to glance at the blonde man still sitting before her, staring at the ground almost lovingly, plunged into a deafening silence. As she understood he was not willing to draw the conclusions himself, she decided to keep harassing him with empty, pointless questions that all lead to one only obvious answer.

''Who is left, Mello?''

''I...'' He hissed hoarsely.

''Stop lying to yourself, Mello.''

''I am not lying!'' He rasped. ''I just— It's impossible.''

''Only if you believe it is.'' Her smile only widen as he looked up at her. ''Just answer my question: _who is left_?'' She repeated very slowly, emphasizing every word.

''Do you think I don't know who's left?!'' He shouted, raising from his seat and walking towards the tiny bed, stopping right in front of her, his burning eyes boring into Elena's. ''I know very well who's left, but it's— I don't— Argh!'' He grabbed his head into his hands, spinning around, turning his back on Cabestan.

''Mello.'' Her calm, neutral voice resounded behind him. ''Who is left?''

A throaty groan escaped his mouth as he still refused to face the french woman. Very carefully, the criminologist stood up and stretched a hand which she cautiously set on Mello's shoulder. In response, he ducked his head, hunching his shoulders.

' _'Who is left_?''

Finally, he gave up. She could feel it as his bones and muscles suddenly relaxed and he turned around, causing the woman's hand to withdraw and fell at her side. He locked his glowing eyes with Cabestan's.

'' _Him._ '' He muttered almost inaudibly as he gazed down at the floor once again. ''It's _him_.''

Elena shut her eyes in pure desperation as she tumbled down on the bed. She sat on the edge, pursing her lips.

''Who, _him_?'' She queried hopelessly. ''Say it, Mello. Tell me his name.''

He clenched his fists as he glared at her poisonously.

''It's _him_!'' He screamed. '' _Near_.'' He fumed as he found himself short of air. ''Happy?!''

Her eyes fluttered open as she stared up at the blonde boy, arching a skeptical eyebrow. ''For me? No. For you? Yes.'' She stated blandly.

''But it's not possible! Near would never go to my grave and put some flowers, or chocolate, or whatever! It's bullshit!''

''You admitted it yourself, Mello. Only him could do that. No one else knew where you were buried. No one else cared enough to visit your grave.''

''But Near doesn't care.''

Cabestan sighed deeply as she smacked her forehead.

''Mello. What are iris to you?''

''It's my favorite flowers.'' He recognized, his voice lower.

''Who knows it's your favorite flowers?''

''I told my best friend, Matt, when we were little.''

''Who do you think Matt would have told about your favorite flowers?''

''Near.'' He answered without an ounce of hesitation, his tone so firm it caused the french woman to blink at him.

''Why would he told Near?''

Mello opened his mouth to talk, but shut it almost instantly, realizing he had said too much already, but it was too late. He averted the woman's stunned gaze as he held back a frustrated groan.

''My friend, Matt, always told me he never believed Near and I were simply rivals. He always thought there was ''so much more than that'', that it was ''much more complicated'', and one day, we'll both understand it. He also told me if one day he disappears, all I'll have left will be _him... Near_. So then I'll have to control myself, forget all my hatred and envy, and give him a chance. Because all we'll have left will be each other.''

Elena Cabestan stared at the blonde man in awe as a small, tender smile gradually graced her features.

''So during the Kira case, when he knew he probably wouldn't survive this, he must have contacted Near, one way or another, and reveal him whatever he saw useful for you two to finally get together in the end...'' She pondered aloud. ''This is incredible! He understood everything, it's unbelievable! Mello, I would have liked to meet your friend. He seemed to be a very clever man. I have the feeling we would have get along pretty well.''

Mello couldn't suppress the sad smile that tugged at his thin rose lips as he murmured. ''I'm sure he would have liked you as well.''

Cabestan smiled back at him.

''Your friend was right. Now Matt is dead, L is dead, the children are dead, everything is over. All you have left is Near, you know it. And now you have to admit it; Near _cares_ about you.''

''Bullshit.'' He mumbled spitefully.

''Oh, come on, Mello! You need to stop lying to yourself! He fetched your favorite flowers and your favorite snack to put it on your grave! Is it not caring to you?! Because if it's not, then you'll have to tell me what it is, because I have no idea! Damn, he went to Manchester _every fucking week_ to visit your grave, is it not enough for you?! Is that the behavior of someone who doesn't care?'' The french woman snorted. ''If someone did that for me, I would be more than affected!''

''When he heard a burnt body had been found in the brazier, he never checked if it was me!''

''Oh Satan! Tell me I'm dreaming!'' The lawyer whined, pressing a hand to her forehead as she lay down on her bed. ''Of course he didn't check! You were supposed to be there with Kira's accomplice, so when he heard a dead corpse had been unidentified, he didn't think about checking because it was obvious it was you and it would be too painful to have someone saying that it was indeed you! Don't tell me he should have guessed you faked your death because I think I'm going to have a heart attack!''

Mello shot her a peeved look before he answered coolly. ''He could have guessed. He's the world's greatest detective, he _should_ have guessed.''

''I thought you'd get it, Mello.'' She said, her voice suddenly cold to match Mello's tone. ''I thought you'd understand he is not a robot. He is not flawless, Mello! He has feelings, and he has emotions! Even if the detective should have checked, the man just couldn't resign himself to do so.'' As she spotted the boy's unconvinced gaze, she tried another way of approach.

''When you heard Matt was dead, did you check if it was really him?''

''Of course not!'' Mello raged, raising his arms in the air. ''But I was sure it was him, it's diff—''

''Ah!'' Elena pointed a defiant finger at the leather-dressed man. ''I knew it! And you're wrong. This is exactly the same, Mello! Near was sure it was you, so he didn't check, this is completely normal and this is most of all completely human! Why didn't _you_ check for Matt, hm?''

''Because... I knew it was him. And if I never knew, well, then I would still have the hope that one day, he will come back and say ''hey man, how have you been?'' But of course, he never came back.'' He added quietly.

'' _Exactly_. That is exactly why Near didn't ask for an autopsy! Because he still had hope. Hope that you weren't dead and that one day, you'll come back to him and say the truth.''

''What truth?'' The young man asked suspiciously.

''That you care about him.''

Suddenly, it was too much for Mello. He took the last steps that still separated him from the french lawyer and wrapped his slender fingers around her neck violently.

''I am done with your bullshit, Cabestan.'' He scolded, his voice more threatening than ever. ''I could strangle you right now, and I will if you don't stop saying this nonsense right away! I don't care about Near! And he doesn't care about me either! He probably didn't even feel _a thing_ when he heard I was dead! Now, what do you have to say, uh?!'' He tightened his grip around the woman's neck, causing the latter to let out a weak whimper.

The golden-haired woman couldn't pronounce a single word as her breath was cut short. She was struggling against Mello's firm grasp, but she was not as strong as he was. Eventually, she quit fighting uselessly and stared at him in silence.

A few seconds later, he finally let go of her. She fell on the bed limply, breathing heavily.

''I... still... beg to... differ. But... if... you don't... believe me... then...'' She managed to say between breaths. ''Ask him. Just... call him.'' She gestured towards the desk at the other side of the room where laid a computer screen, a microphone, and many other electronic devices. ''Do it. Call him. If you think... I'm lying, then ask him. Ask him... if he felt something when he heard... you were dead. At least, in _him_ you will believe. If I am wrong, then you can gag me or do whatever you want with me.''

As she finished her sentence, she took a deep, trembling breath. She sat up and watched him with curious hazel eyes, waiting for him to take a decision. Finally, he rolled his eyes and took a seat at his desk, not without shooting her a last disapproving glance.

''Fine, Cabestan.'' He growled between gritted teeth. ''I will call Near, and if he answers me what you think he will, then I'll keep listening to you. But if he doesn't, then I'll gag you and I won't hear anything more from your mouth, got it?''

Elena Cabestan nodded solemnly as she spoke with confidence, without averting his icy blue eyes once.

''Deal.''

* * *

Near was crouched on the ground, one knee bent to his chest, in the middle of the working room, facing a chess board filled with all the game pieces.

All the pieces, except for one.

 _The White Queen._

The detective sighed as he moved a pawn forward on a blank case.

 _Mello took the White Queen away from me._

 _Miss Cabestan._

 _He took my major asset, my last shield._

 _He put me in check._

 _The last step is... taking my King._

 ** _Me._**

 _Checkmate._

 _And I will lose._

 _I cannot afford to lose to him._

 _Because if I lose, then I—_

He was interrupted in his thoughts by a loud ring which echoed in the whole room. Lidner and Rester tore their eyes off their computers to focus on the huge screens which all displayed the same dark, thick letter.

 ** _M_**

Hal Lidner rose from her seat and walked towards the desk with firms, prompt steps, shooting a questioning glance at the white-haired man who nodded silently.

She pressed the knob, and a well-known hoarse voice filled the loudspeakers.

''Near.''

''Mello.'' He said flatly as he pushed another pawn on the board.

''Miss your _White Queen_ , Near?'' His enemy began deviously.

''Not really. However, I would appreciate greatly if you prevented yourself from shattering Miss Cabestan to pieces, if you please. There is still a high probability that I will need her in the near future.''

Mello laughed mirthlessly.

''Ah, that's annoying, indeed! Well, it will depends on what you answer me, actually.''

Suddenly, an icy voice intervened, cutting the conversation short.

''Mello, stop mocking us,'' Lidner moved towards the computer, glaring at the screen with irritation. ''How is Elena?''

''Don't worry, Hal.'' The younger man chuckled. ''Your girlfriend is fine. A bit too much if you ask me, but here, see for yourself.''

The SPM agent frowned as she wondered what the former mafioso had in mind.

 _What are you planning, Mello?_

'' _Hal_.'' A smooth voice called, a soft sound she was seriously starting to miss now that she thought about it, and the blonde woman instantly relaxed. ''I am alright, don't worry. It's okay, I already told you not to worry—''

''You lied to me, Elena!'' She cut her off as her voice raised menacingly. ''Why didn't you tell me—''

''Now, now, Lidner.'' Mello's voice suddenly replaced the lawyer's voice, causing the former CIA agent to growl in frustration. ''You wanted to know if your little protégée was fine, and you now know she is. There is no more reason why I should let her talk to you.''

Near frowned as he listened to this odd conversation.

''Mello, what did you mean when you said it depends on what I answer you?'' He inquired eventually, his voice void of any emotion.

''Whatever, Near.'' His rival snapped, ignoring his interrogation. ''I have a question for you.''

''I am listening.''

The slouched silhouette then took the White King in his hand and lifted it in mid air, intending to place it on the board.

''When you heard I was dead, what did you feel?''

The question had the effect of a rumbling, powerful thunder which exploded in the younger boy's head. The chess piece left the lean fingers' grip and fell on the board, bringing three other pawns to crumble with it.

Near remained there, on the floor, motionless as his dark gaze was still fixed obsessively on the board.

''Well, at first I thought—'' He began in a calm, steady voice.

''No, no.'' Mello clicked his tongue disapprovingly. ''I don't wanna know what you thought, Near. I asked what did you _feel_?''

Pale hands started to shake very lightly, so lightly it was almost invisible. Blank eyebrows twitched imperceptibly. Bloodless lips pursed slightly. Fragile shoulders covered with thin fabric hunched a bit.

 _Mello..._

 _Why do you ask me that?_

 _You already know the answer. Why do you want me to say it?_

 _Do you really want me to say it aloud?_

 _Do you want to hurt me?_

Near shook his head slowly as he put the White King back on its feet. He rested his chin on his knee as he took a discrete, silent breath.

 _There is no use to lie, anyway._

 _I have already lost this battle._

 _But what if, by saying the truth, Mello was the one who was left speechless in the end?_

 _I have not lost the war yet._

Then, he lowered his gaze on the board once again as he spoke, his tone as harsh, as cold as ever, or perhaps even more than ever. And his plain, empty voice came as the perfect contrary of the words he pronounced like a sacred whisper.

''Well, to be completely honest with you, Mello...'' He said neutrally.

''I was devastated.''

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Yes... Near, Mello, stop lying to yourselves!

 **Next chapter: Mello discovers a disturbing element of Elena's past.**

Huge thanks to Elena1111, markem, BarkingKittens and Caly for their kind reviews, please keep going guys, you're awesome!

To Caly: Merci beaucoup pour ces compliments, ça me fait plaisir! Effectivement, étant française moi-même, j'espère au moins bien écrire dans ma langue maternelle! xD

 **Please follow and review if you like that story, since I don't have many feedbacks I have no way to know if it's worth the trouble...**

Bye bye, humans!

 _ **C.**_


	12. No Intelligence Without Madness

**_New York City M.N. Murder Case_**

 **Chapter 12: No Intelligence Without Madness**

''Cabestan.''

Nothing.

''Cabestan…''

The figure snuggled into the miserable covers didn't move an inch.

''Cabestan!'' Mello shouted at the sleeping woman.

The lawyer turned around in her sheets and sat straight on her bed, looking at the blonde man, her eyes half-closed with tiredness.

''Will you let me sleep eventually?'' She asked wearily, her voice hoarse.

The young man chuckled darkly. ''You're not at the hotel, Cabestan. You've been kidnaped, in case you forgot.''

''Judging by the thinness and hardness of the bed and your constant annoying noises and calls, I could hardly forget, thank you very much.'' The criminologist snapped, glaring at him with pure irritation. ''What do you want, Mello?''

''I wanna talk to you.'' He walked towards the tiny bed and sat in a black damaged armchair in front of her.

The curled-haired woman sighed deeply as she crossed her arms on her chest.

''Fine. What do you want to talk about?''

'' _Him_.''

''Who, _him_?''

''Oh come on, Cabestan, don't play dumb! You know exactly who I am talking about!''

''Of course I know,'' she snorted. ''But I would prefer if you said his name when you're referring to him, that would be a great progress already.''

The man arched an eyebrow at her. ''So what? You're me therapist now, or what?''

''Well, let's say your hostage therapist, yes.''

''Whatever.'' He grunted. ''We need to talk. About _him_.'' He looked up to meet Cabestan's amused look, and he rolled his eyes as he added promptly. ''About _Near_. See? I said his name. Alright?''

''Alright.'' She shrugged as she placed a hand under her chin, hazel eyes locking with icy blue. ''What do you wanna know?''

''When he said he was devastated when he heard about my death…'' He began hesitantly, lowering his gaze to the floor. ''Do you think he meant it?'' He added quietly.

''Actually,'' the golden-haired woman replied neutrally, ''I think it was an understatement.''

''W-What…What do you mean?''

''I mean it's highly probable that, when he learned you were dead, a part of him died with you.''

''That's nonsense.''

''No, it's not, when you think about it.''

''And how's that?''

''You were the only person in whom he truly believed, the only person he cared about, contrary to what you might think. So when you supposedly died, I think he felt like his heart has been ripped out of his chest, because he truly had nothing left. Remember what your friend Matt told you, when everyone else is gone, you only have each other. Near has you, and you have Near. Even if you were enemies, rival, nemesis, even if it was only based on hatred and misunderstandings, you were the only thing he had left, the only thing that still linked him to his childhood, his innocence. And when you died, he had _nothing_.''

Mello stared at the french woman without blinking for a while, his mouth wide opened. He seemed to be at loss of words as he was listening to Elena's passionate words in a deafening silence. Whether he didn't believe her, or he simply _couldn't_ believe her, no one could tell.

Eventually, the young man pursed his lips as he shook his head lightly, blonde strands swinging above his forehead.

''You're a bit dramatic, Cabestan.'' He stated simply.

''I prefer the term ' _romantic_ ','' she laughed joylessly, ''but that's only personal considerations…''

The blonde man narrowed his eyes at her threateningly as she was looking straight back at him, her chin lifting defiantly.

 _What are you going to answer, now, Mello?_

 _If I were being romantic, then it means I see the relationship you share with Near as more than a simple rivalry or even a friendship. You understand that, right?_

 _Shout at me, and you betray yourself. Anger is the best way to hide discomfort. I won't miss that._

 _But say nothing, and you indirectly admit I am right._

 _So I'm curious… What are you going to do?_

Unexpectedly, Mello's burning eyes softened as he averted her inquiring gaze. He leant back against the sofa and bit at a chocolate bar. Elena winced in advance, just thinking about the noise that shall follow…

 ** _Croc._**

She restrained a groan as she puffed in exasperation.

''Sometimes I wonder if you're a genius…'' Mello said almost solemnly, his voice lower than usual. ''Or just completely insane.''

At his greatest surprise, Cabestan only smiled mysteriously.

''You know what they say, intelligence never comes without a little bit of madness…''

The former mafioso smirked deviously. ''Then you must be very clever.''

Elena's lips curved even more as she rested her back against the headboard without leaving Mello's gaze once.

''And you must be completely mad.''

* * *

''Seems you're quite popular, Cabestan.'' A well-known sarcastic voice resounded behind the french woman. She sneaked a glance above her shoulder.

''What are you saying?'' She asked wearily as her bright eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Icy blue eyes set on her as a smirk slowly graced Mello's thin lips.

''You know exactly what I mean.''

''Actually, no, I don't.''

''Well, maybe you should ask Thibaut Martelet… Yann Fourcade… Damien Huller…'' Mello began in a smooth voice as he locked his gaze with Elena's, observing carefully the lawyer's features as it gradually tensed around her eyes and cheekbones. ''Alice Pinot… Valentine Narcy…'' His honeyed smile broadened as he noticed Cabestan's nervous twitching of perfectly shaped brows. He lowered his eyes on the computer screen as he spoke again, his voice deadly quiet and deep. ''Or perhaps…Émilie Lacombe.''

Finally, Elena Cabestan turned fully towards her kidnaper as her eyes widened in horror.

''H-How…How do you know about them?'' She inquired weakly.

Mello laughed joylessly. ''I already told you, Cabestan. My friends have investigated you, and they're quite good at that job. They easily found out all your dirty little secrets. I know _everything_ …''

The criminologist put her head down as if in defeat. ''You didn't have to know that. It's none of your business. This is strictly private.'' She said coldly, averting Mello's curious gaze.

''Like my relationship with Near.'' The blonde man snapped sharply.

''Oh, so now you have a _relationship_ with Near? Glad to know!'' She sneered, emphasizing the word purposely.

Her attempt at provocation was successful, for Mello abruptly rose from his seat and rushed towards the young woman, pointing a threatening gloved finger at her.

''Who the fuck do you think you're kidding?! Don't mess with me, Cabestan! I could slit your throat right now, you madwoman!''

Elena looked at the black finger blankly. ''Go ahead. But who would give you the informations you want, then? Who would help you understand your dear enemy, hm?''

Mello narrowed his eyes at the provocative woman as he failed to conceal a throaty growl. His hand fell limply at his side and he turned away from his hostage, walking back towards his desk.

''I'm sure Lidner wouldn't appreciate if she knew you're used to fuck so many people at the same time, am I right?''

Cabestan rolled her eyes as she crossed her legs one above another. ''I didn't _fuck_ them all.'' She let out wearily as she reported her attention on the man sitting in front of her. ''And it wasn't at the same time. But I can't see why Lidner would give a damn about my sexual life anyway.''

Mello chuckled mirthlessly. ''Ah, and what about…Émilie Lacombe, for example? What would she think?''

The golden-haired woman froze, her whole body stiffened as her lean hands started to shake ever so slightly.

''Let her be. She has nothing to do with this.''

''Oh, protective, aren't we?'' The man snorted. ''Was this Émilie different from the other students you fucked?''

''No, but—'' Elena interrupted herself, sighing deeply as she raised a hand to her temples, clearly fighting to hide her frustration, before gazing up at the former mafioso. ''Listen, Mello. I don't know exactly why you bothered yourself to learn all those things about me, but just listen to me. I'm not really proud of my course of actions, nor my behavior, but those people are good guys and girls. They're clever, they're beautiful, they're happy, they have a pretty life awaiting for them… They suffered enough because of me, so now let me make up to them. If you wanna unleash your anger, your hatred, or whatever it is you're feeling, just unleash it at me, not at them.''

In response, Mello quirked an eyebrow. ''So that's it? The famous heartbreaker law professor gives up? After seducing and drawing all those students — who were all at least fifteen years your junior, I must add — into your trap? You're telling me you regret what you did?''

''No. I didn't say I regret it. I just told you to leave them alone because they don't deserve that. If you wanna hurt me one way or another, just know it's completely pointless to use them because I have no more contact with them. If your friends investigated me so well, then you must be aware of that. You know playing with my students won't be of any help, so forget about them.''

Near's greatest enemy pursed his lips as he leaned his back against his damaged wheel chair, looking down at his folded hands as if lost in thoughts.

''Right.'' He said eventually as he raised his head to meet Cabestan's brown eyes. ''And…what do you have to offer in exchange?''

Elena Cabestan opened her mouth to talk, but shut it barely a second later. She gazed down, a deep frown slowly drawing itself on her stone face. Then she looked up, warm eyes locking with faded blue.

''In exchange…'' She began in a whisper. ''I'll help you do anything you want. I'll answer any question you ask. Whatever you want, whatever you wish. I won't try to resist your will. I won't try to escape, and if you accept to release me one day, I give up on my rights to sue you for kidnapping and abuse. I'll become your ally, your employee, your partner, or whoever you want me to be. The only thing you'll have to do is ask and I will obey.''

Mello reached up to scratch his chin thoughtfully, his lips curled up into a satisfied smile.

''Any question, any information, anything I want, right?'' He asked complacently. The curled-haired woman lowered her head and nodded miserably. He nodded as well and tilted his head to the side. ''You know I could hurt you, abuse you, rape you, right?''

''Yes.''

''You're not afraid?''

''No.''

As she spoke fiercely, her voice firm and unwavering, he frowned slightly and stood up, stepping towards the french woman. He kelt in front of her and raised a hand to lift her chin, causing their gaze to meet.

''That's weird,'' he stated. ''I can't say if you're the kind of woman who just never knew fear…or who knew it so well they don't care anymore.''

''You can think whatever you want, Mello.'' She replied sharply, without moving an inch, nor averting his gaze. ''Just know that if your plan is to break me, it's completely useless.'' As she crossed Mello's puzzled look, she continued, her voice void of any emption. ''For I am already broken.''

All of a sudden, Mello let go of her chin and pulled back, straightening up and turning around to his computer desk once more. He let himself fall on his seat and rested his elbows on his knees, intertwining gloved fingers together. He slowly looked up at the lawyer, a strange spark glowing in his saphir eyes.

''Cabestan, I'm sorry you got yourself involved into all this mess.''

''Oh, don't be.'' She shook her head, a discrete smile tugging at her red lips. ''I don't deserve your pity, really.''

Mello looked away, casting his eyes on a stack of chocolate bars laying on the table.

''So I can ask you anything.'' He declared absently.

''Yes.''

Silence.

''Why did you get yourself involved into that mess, Cabestan?''

''Because I want to help the both of you, you _and_ Near.''

''Why?''

''Because you make me think of a boy I met once.''

The young man turned his head towards his captive, his eyes gleaming with interest.

''What about that guy?''

''His heart was shattered to pieces, as if it had been ripped off his chest.'' Elena spoke mechanically, as if reduced to the state of a mere robot compelled to talk.

''Why?''

''He fell for his worst enemy… And he killed him.''

Mello jolted back, his eyes widening in shock as his mouth dropped open.

''B-But…what does this have anything to do with me?!'' He almost screamed, incomprehension could be easily read in all his features.

''Near is much more than your enemy.'' Cabestan's calm voice filled his ears with the forbidden words it carried. ''I saw that man go straight to his downfall. I won't see you fall. I won't see Near fall. I won't let you both destroy yourselves. You deserve—'' She interrupted herself, her voice suddenly hoarse. ''So much better than that…''

The mafioso put his head down, hiding his blank face behind yellow bangs.

''What do you expect from the both of us, Cabestan? From me and Near?''

''I want you to face the truth.''

''And…what is the truth?'' He inquired hesitantly.

Silence took over the room once again, leaving Mello with nothing but the genuine smile Elena Cabestan offered him.

''You need each other.''

''W-What? Why would I need _him_?!'' His voice raised slightly, menacingly.

''Because, you see…'' The criminologist stared at him, her eyes twinkling with an odd glow. ''Chaos and Order are codependent. You are Chaos. Near is Order. Chaos cannot exist without Order, just as Order cannot exist without Chaos. If there is no chaos, then there is no order, just as if there were no night, then there would be no day. You know, you may be clever, just like Near, but contrary to the appearances, you're not mad, and neither is Near.''

The young criminal looked at the lawyer in awe, prey to a complete confusion.

''Chaos mixed up with Order creates conflict, resistance, division… It creates madness. If Chaos doesn't merge with Order, it's just a simple, insignificant mess. If Order doesn't merge with Chaos, it's just a boring, plain perfection. Therefore, the merge of Chaos and Order is vital, crucial. It creates madness. And madness is what you both lack, what you both need, for there is no intelligence—''

''Without madness.''

Those two words had been but a bare murmur, a silent plea escaping the blonde man's lips as he finally admitted the truth, sealing Elena's victory with it.

Mello gritted his teeth. He threw a fist at the coffee table, sinking his knuckles into the wood, distorting the material with the strength of his fury.

''Dammit!''

The french law professor and criminologist Elena Cabestan only smiled, white teeth shining in the gloomy moonlight.

 _Damn you, Cabestan!_

 _For making me realize it._

 _Fuck you, Near!_

 _For making me need you…_

 _For making me_ ** _want_** _you._

* * *

''Mello.'' A soft voice called for him, but the slender dark figure didn't acknowledge it and instead kept pacing the room furiously, stubbornly.

''Mello.'' It said again, ever more gently. ''Call him.''

Eventually, the blonde man froze and turned around, facing the silhouette sitting on the tattered bed, looking straight back at him.

''What?''

A deep sigh, and a sweet invitation. ''You heard me, Mello.'' Elena Cabestan repeated wearily. ''Call him. Call Near. I know you want to.''

''What the fuck are you talking about?!'' He shouted at her without a second thought.

''You've been ruminating like a caged lion for hours. I know you're used to call him approximately once in two days, to mock him, provoke him, or whatever excuse your mind came up with.'' As she met Mello's burning gaze, she swallowed and quickly moved on. ''Anyway, you should call him. You can even try to make him uncomfortable.''

This time, she only crossed the path of amazed, curious eyes.

''How?''

''Well, that's simple.'' She shrugged as a tiny smile crept on her lips. ''You only have to use his weakness.''

''Right. Emotions.'' Mello mumbled as if for himself.

''Indeed. All you have to do is talk about emotion, and you'll win the battle.'' The lawyer nodded in confirmation. ''Remember the last time you followed my advice? You managed to catch him off guard. You can do it again! And one day, he'll surrender.''

The mafioso nodded slightly as he lowered his head, staring at the floor blankly. After a short while, he looked up, determination and pride floating in his deep blue eyes.

''Very well, Cabestan.'' He stated firmly as he rose from his seat and headed towards his computer desk, settling himself in front of the shining, blinding screen. ''I'm trusting you on this. Hope you won't deceive me.''

''Oh, I won't.'' Elena smiled mirthlessly as she observed Mello who laid a hand above his keyboard, pressing a red knob with his index finger.

* * *

Black abyss eyes were anchored on the chessboard and the White Queen's empty case.

 _All the pawns, except from the Queen._

 _A masterstroke._

 _Check._

Snow-white locks were lightly swinging, tickling the pale, flawless forehead.

 _It has been two days since Miss Cabestan's so-called kidnaping._

 _Mello must be trying to break her in order to get some informations about me._

 _I hope she truly know what she is doing, because if she doesn't…_

A flick of a slender, tiny finger and the White King fell from the board and hit the ground in a loud metallic noise.

 _This would be checkmate._

 _The end of the game._

 _My inevitable downfall._

 _The_ ** _end_** _._

A white small hand stretched out and grabbed the chess piece, placing it back on the board at its rightful place.

 _I kidnaped Miss Cabestan first so she would be on my side._

 _I first thought I succeeded._

 _But it seems I was wrong._

 _Elena Cabestan is on no one's side._

A firm finger reached up and sank into the ocean of white hair, twirling a strand endlessly, obsessively.

 _So…who does she fight for?_

* * *

''A-Are you sure?'' A trembling voice rasped desperately.

''Yes.''

''I really hope you know what you're doing…''

''Trust me, I do.''

A deep sigh, then an uncomfortable cough.

''You better do…''

* * *

 ** _Dring._**

 ** _Dring._**

 ** _Dring._**

Near raised his head, tearing his gaze off the chess board to look at the giant, glowing screens above him.

 ** _M_**

''Rester, please.'' He called blankly and watched his coworker as he reached the computer and pressed the correct button, allowing a husky, sly voice to fill the room.

''Near.''

''Mello.'' He replied almost mechanically.

''Missed me?''

The world's greatest detective marked a pause as he pursed his thin bloodless lips together.

''What do you want, Mello?'' He asked coolly.

''Ah, you're not funny, Near!'' Mello snarled. ''Well, to be honest, I wanna ask you something.''

''I am listening.''

''Was it you that came to my grave?'' The voice on the other end of the line spoke deadly slowly.

''Yes.''

''How many times?''

''Once a week.''

''Was it you that left some flowers and dark chocolate?''

''Yes.''

''Why?''

The silver-haired boy's features were graced by an invisible grin as he stated matter-of-factly, though as emotionless as ever.

''Because I knew those were the things you liked the most.''

''Matt told you.'' Mello let out in a breath, and it was more a bitter recognition than an interrogation.

''Yes, he did.'' Near confirmed in a deadpan voice, skinny fingers still intertwined in snow locks.

''Why?''

''I suppose your best friend found it necessary to reveal those personal informations to me.'' L's successor answered neutrally.

''Don't fuck with me, Near! Matt didn't told you that without any reason!'' The older man raised his voice threateningly as his tone hardened slightly.

''Indeed.'' His greatest rival nodded as he reached out to grasp the White King in his small hand. ''To be precise, Matt said, and I quote, ''I'm telling you this cause I have the feeling this will serve you both one day, and I know if someone doesn't help you, Mello and you won't take the first step towards the other. So someone has to do it. I hope someone will carry on with the job when I won't be here anymore. Near, _you_ know this isn't about hatred. You could have so much more than that… You have to make _him_ understand.'' Those were his exact words.''

A deafening, impenetrable silence took over the large, dark room as well as the loudspeakers. No one dared to break this thoughtful, bewildering silence. Lidner, Rester and Gevanni were all staring at their boss in respectful, worried expectation, while, on the other side of the line, Mello was looking at the screen, fists clenched, nails digging in flesh painfully, his blue eyes blurred with regrets and memories as Elena Cabestan was watching over him, brown eyes analyzing his every move.

Finally, the mafioso seemed to regain his senses as he held back a sigh.

''And do you believe what he said?'' He inquired, his voice composed and steady.

''Yes.'' The younger man affirmed without an ounce of hesitation.

This time, Mello didn't bother to suppress the dark chuckle that escaped his throat.

''You're insane, Near.'' He spat disdainfully.

''You know very well that I am not, Mello.''

''Yeah, right,'' Mello sneered as he reminded of Cabestan's crazy theories, ''you need me to put a bit of insanity in your life, or you get bored, that's it?''

''According to your friend Matt, yes, Mello. That is correct.'' Near said, his voice void of any emotion as he placed the King on the chess board, right next to the empty case reserved to the missing White Queen.

''According to Cabestan, too.'' His nemesis added harshly, reluctantly.

''Miss Cabestan agrees with Matt?'' The new L asked as he tilted his head to the side, feigning surprise.

''Yeah.''

''That is…interesting.''

''If you say so.'' A grumble made itself heard in the whole investigation room.

''I do.''

''Whatever.'' Mello snapped angrily, before he paused, as if thinking of the best way to continue the conversation without murdering his worst enemy.

''Why did you visit my grave, Near?'' He questioned eventually, his voice hoarse, wavering with both interest and dread.

''The solution is in the first question you asked since this exchange has begun, but more importantly, in the answer I never gave you.'' Near's plain voice echoed in the quiet room and hit Mello's soul full force as realization finally struck him, and the feeling was so strong it stole the words that awaited in his mouth to be pronounced.

 _''Missed me?''_

 _''What do you want, Mello?''_

 _''Ah, you're not funny, Near!''_

The detective then smiled widely as he spoke the other man's thoughts aloud.

''Yes, Mello,'' he said quietly, his voice now reduced to a bare whisper.

A few miles away from there, a blonde man was frozen in place, eyes widening in shock, fixed on a gleaming, hypnotizing screen, hoping the next words he will hear won't be the one he feared the most.

Behind him, a woman was smirking devilishly as she was gazing at the man's shaking, tensed back in a sick, cruel satisfaction.

 _Yes, Mello._

 _Matt was right._

 _I am right._

 _There is so much more than hatred to it…_

 _And you are about to face the truth._

 _But the question is…_

 _Are you ready?_

''Yes, Mello,'' Near murmured almost inaudibly, but the words sounded like a massive explosion. For Mello, it was as strong as the apocalypse.

''I have missed you.''

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Finally, Near admitted it! It was about time…

 **Next chapter: Mello discovers Elena's link with Kira and uses it to jeopardize Near's trust in her.**

A huge thanks to Caly, Lugga and Metaphors and Miracles for their reviews! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with such kindness, your encouragement helps me write, it means a lot to me. Please don't stop!

 **To Caly:** Oui, je suis française, mais j'écris aussi en anglais. J'espérais me débrouiller correctement en anglais, donc merci de me dire que mon anglais est bon, ça me rassure ! Et si les gens continuent de me soutenir, je compte bien continuer comme ça pendant un certain temps ! Moi aussi je suis une shippeuse MelloxNear hardcore, sinon je n'écrirais pas cette histoire xD En tout cas je suis heureuse que tu aimes tant cette histoire, et merci pour ton soutien, ça m'aide beaucoup !

 **To Metaphors and Miracles:** Thank you very much for your compliments, it means a lot to me! I spent quite a long time imagining all the clues and mysteries around the murders, and linking it to Mello and Near's past, so I'm glad someone finds it interesting. I brought this story to life with the idea that history is repeating itself, but with different characters, so I'm very happy someone likes the plot the way I created it!

Sorry for the long note, but I'm trying to reply to all the reviews that need a reply, so that's why.

 **Anyway, please follow and review if you want to see what happens next!**

Bye bye, humans!

 ** _C._**


	13. Jealousy

**_New York City M.N. Murder Case_**

 **Chapter 13: Jealousy**

''That...that's impossible! You're lying, Near!''

''I can assure you, Mello, as much as I wish it was a lie, it is not.''

A shaking finger fell on the red knob which put an end to the call instantly. The blank screen went black as the beautiful, gothic, capital letter **_L_** vanished.

A fist covered with dark leather hit the desk in a loud crash. Elena Cabestan bit her lip expectantly.

 _What's coming is no good for me…_ She thought, and she was unfortunately right.

Finally, Mello spun his wheel chair around so he could face the french lawyer. He took a deep, jerky breath as he pressed his eyes shut.

''You said I was gonna win that battle…'' His voice was but a quiet, concealed growl.

''And…you didn't?'' Elena tried hesitantly, tilting her head to the side in fake innocence.

''Of course I didn't!'' The blonde man burst out as he rose from his seat abruptly. ''He tricked me! He beat me at my own game! He used his own weakness to turn it into a strength! You said all I had to do was talk about emotions, and I did! And look at me, now! I've just lost at my own game! Once again! And he bested me! Once again!'' He shouted at her, spreading his arms in pure rage. When he finally regained his senses, he sighed deeply as he let himself fall on the tattered sofa in front of Elena's bed.

''It's pathetic.'' He muttered between gritted teeth.

Cabestan frowned slightly, thinking about the best answer to give Mello and that would prevent her from being brutally murdered by a wild, flustered chocolate addict.

''But, uh… Just think about it.'' She began in a steady voice, causing the younger man to look up at her with interest. ''You wanted to talk about emotions with him, so you did. You wanted to put his walls down, you did. You wanted to understand him, you did. You wanted to know what he felt, you did. You wanted to hear the truth from him, and you did!'' She gave him the most radiant smile she could perform.

''He managed to make you uncomfortable not because he wanted to, but just because he answered your interrogation truthfully, perhaps for the first time in forever. You asked about his emotions, and you were so sure he had none, or that he would never express them, that when he did…you didn't believe it. So you didn't lose the battle, Mello. Because if you lost, than he did as well, because he was the one who was compelled to admit something very private and embarrassing. You did nothing but listen to his confession. Therefore, you cannot say you lost the battle!''

Mello arched an eyebrow at this rather strange reasoning. ''That's a way of putting it.'' He said neutrally as he grabbed a bar of chocolate. ''Though I'm not so sure about the fact he didn't do it on purpose, just to make me uncomfortable.''

 ** _Croc._**

''Oh, but he did!'' She snorted. ''Of course he did! He was about to lose to you, so he had to make the fight more fair. And when he found himself compelled to tell the truth, he did, knowing perfectly that it would shock you, for you never heard him talk about his emotions before. That was his small victory. But you cannot take that away from him, because that's all he got.''

''Hm…'' He mused aloud as he was busy unwrapping his snack. ''So we could say we're even now.''

 ** _Croc._**

''No.'' She answered without thinking as she met Mello's inquiring gaze. ''I think we could say you still have the upper hand.'' She smiled mirthlessly.

''Why?'' His kidnaper asked as his thin lips slowly curved into a smirk.

''Because the more you call him and ask him intimate questions, the more he exposes himself. Because, contrary to you, he has no one to take advice on what to do nor what to say, and as we both know, he doesn't know how to deal with emotion _at all_.''

Mello's smile only widened to Elena's best satisfaction.

 _ **Croc.**_

''So what do we do now?''

''Well,'' she shrugged as she lay down in the tiny bed, folding her arms behind her head, ''just keep calling him regularly. Talk about emotions. _His_ emotions. Go further and further into his most intimate thoughts. The more you get some answers, the more he will be obliged to comply. And one day, he'll confess something so…irreparable, so irreversible, that he won't be able to go back anymore.''

Mello crossed his leather-covered legs as he let out a dark chuckle. ''Did someone already tell you you're machiavellian?''

''Yes.'' Elena Cabestan's red lips curled up into a toothy grin. ''But it's far more meaningful when it comes from a mafioso that managed to fool both Kira and L.''

And Mello's smile broadened so far and so wide she thought it was going to reach his ears and hair, and perhaps even the apartment, lightening and warming the bleak atmosphere made of suspicion and anger that was still floating in the whole place.

* * *

That night, she— or at least, her body— didn't seem inclined to give up to sleep, so she fidgeted in her sheets, turning back and forth in her damaged bed, causing the mattress to creak unpleasantly.

She sneaked a few glances towards her captor, but much to her relief, Mello was lying flat in the sofa, his legs sprawled almost randomly on what seemed like a soft, but torn material, plunged into a sleep like death.

She sighed deeply as she moved to lie on her back, fixing the yellowish ceiling in useless contemplation.

 _There's something that still bothers me._

 _If I cannot sleep, then that means there's still an answer that I lack._

 _But what is it?_

She frowned slightly as she gazed at the man in the dark.

 _I could wake him up and ask him._

 _But first of all, I don't even know what to ask._ _And second of all..._

She noticed the gun that laid a few inches away from Mello's hand. She rolled her eyes.

 _...Second of all, he would kill me._

 _So that's out of the question._

She turned her head back towards the ceiling.

 _I have to find the answer myself._

 _Let's think..._

And that was how the events of the last few days played again in her mind, or more precisely, Mello's words resounded in her head, showing her the last missing piece of the puzzle.

 _''Or should I rather say...Congratulations, **Elena Cabestan**.''_

 _''And what about your **friend**?''_

 _''The famous french penal law professor.''_

 _''Your **dear** lawyer friend.''_

 _''Ask your slave lawyer to do it for you, for all I care!''_

 _''Where is that damned woman anyway?''_

 _''Isn't she spending all her nights with you trying to understand that insane brain of mine?!''_

 _''Your little protégée.''_

 _''I wondered why **you** would be the exception.''_

 _''Your precious Miss Cabestan.''_

 _''You should really inform yourself better before hiring a new member in your team you know **nothing** about.''_

 _''You're the pawn, Cabestan.''_

 _''Looks like Near just lost his Queen...''_

 _''Miss your **White Queen** , Near?''_

She straightened up abruptly as her jaw dropped in awe.

 _Of course! How could I be so blind?_

She suppressed the urge to smack her forehead, for the noise would surely catch the attention of the sleeping mafioso.

 _I always thought those pseudo insults and taunts directed to me were just the show of Mello's anger and frustration towards Near._

 _I thought he was furious because Mello felt like Near was cheating by employing me, while he was on his own._

 _But I got it wrong! Since the very beginning, I got it all wrong!_

 _How could I be so stupid?_

She tried to steady her breath as she let herself fall on her thin pillow.

 _I need to check if my assumption is true._

 _But that is very easy._

She smiled to herself in the dark as a plan was gradually taking roots in her mind.

 _All I'll have to do is test Mello, and depending on his reaction, I'll know if I were right._

She turned away from the living room to face the blank wall. She closed her eyes as she felt sleep slowly claiming her soul and body.

 _I know what brought you to say those nasty things, Mello._

 _You may fool Near, but you cannot fool me._

 _Not on this._

Elena Cabestan fell asleep, a smile blatantly plated on her features as her last conscient thought filled her brain.

 _This is called **jealousy** , Mello._

 _And I am going to prove it._

* * *

The next morning, she was pulled out of her beauty sleep by a strong, fierce smell of black coffee.

She couldn't help but smile in her half-conscious state as her eyes fluttered open. She muffled a groan as she sat up on her bed to look at the scene that spread before her.

A cup of fuming coffee, two toasts of hot bread, and a plate full of scrambled eyes and bacon awaited her on the small table.

She didn't even dare to believe her eyes, so much that they threatened to pop out of her head.

She was brought back to reality by a calm, smooth voice.

''Good morning, Cabestan.''

Elena looked up to meet a radiant Mello, holding a cup of coffee in his left hand and a dark chocolate bar in his right hand.

''Okay, so whether you're planning on proposing to me,'' she began sarcastically, ''or you want something, and you understood you can buy me with food... Since I am absolutely sure you have no interest in me— an opinion that I totally respect, I assure you, even though it still puzzles me— nor in marriage, then I suppose it's the second option, am I right?'' She finished in a sigh.

Mello only chuckled in response. ''You're so smart it's almost annoying, you know that, right?''

''I have been told so.'' She shrugged, before she shot a questioning glance at the blonde. ''So tell me, my dear kidnaper, what do you want to know so early in the morning?''

He made his way towards the table, put his cup on the wooden furniture, sat on the sofa, and crossed his legs, resting his arms on the back lazily. Then he gestured towards the plate in front of the young woman.

''Eat, I'll tell you what I want after your breakfast.'' He said.

''Did anyone tell you you're very talented at manipulating people into getting what you want?'' She smirked at him as she grabbed the cup full of her favorite beverage.

''Yeah, but it's even better when it comes from the queen of manipulation herself.'' He retorted, a sly smile gracing his thin pink lips.

''Good point.'' Cabestan nodded, still grinning.

As she closed her mouth around the last bite of eggs, she noticed Mello's insisting gaze on her.

''Go ahead, Mello.'' She invited him to talk, wielding her fork towards him. ''Tell me what you want.''

''Fine.'' He shut his eyes for a second, before he reopened them, locking his cold gaze with Cabestan's. ''You said I could ask anything of you, remember?''

The french woman swallowed hardly. ''Yes.'' She answered hesitantly. ''So what?''

''So I'm going to ask you a question, and you're going to answer it correctly, without lying, nor hiding the truth. Because if you do, I'll know it. Got it?''

''I got it.'' She agreed as she disregarded her plate on the table. ''I'm listening.''

''Right. We have an agreement, then. So listen very carefully, Cabestan...'' He said, his voice raspy and low as he leant forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

''I'll ask you a question, and you're gonna answer with ''yes'' or ''no'', okay? No buts, no maybes, no anything.''

Elena nodded silently, preparing herself for the much awaited question.

Mello nodded in return and leant back into the couch as his hand grasped a chocolate bar which he started to unpack slowly and nonchalantly. When he was done, he brought the sweet right in front of his parted lips and stared at the woman in front of him, his mouth distorting into a ruthless smile.

''Did you ever get in contact with Kira?''

 ** _Croc._**

She blinked at him in confusion. When she got away with the astonishment, she lowered her gaze to the floor.

''Yes.'' She whispered.

''Did you know him?''

 ** _Croc._**

She pursed her lips together as she still refused to look up.

''Answer me, Cabestan!'' Mello raised his voice menacingly as he made a move to get closer to the woman.

''Yes,'' she replied reluctantly, ''I knew him.''

''How?''

 _ **Croc.**_

''One year, he was present to one of my professional meetings. He came to me after the conference to ask me some questions and he invited me to a bar so we could continue this conversation over a drink.'' She explained blankly, as if those were but mere blurred flashes of a past life that held no importance to her anymore.

''What did he want from you?'' The mafioso inquired coolly.

 _ **Croc.**_

''He wanted to know more about crimes of passion, which was the subject of my conference.'' She answered neutrally as she met Mello's burning gaze. ''So I answered his questions.''

''What happened next?'' And the younger man bit in his snack sharply, without leaving the criminologist's eyes for a second.

 ** _Croc._**

''He wanted to know my opinion on...'' The lawyer trailed off and sighed. ''On Kira.''

Mello opened his mouth, and shut it instantly. ''And what did you say?''

 ** _Croc._**

''What I really thought.'' She shrugged. ''That Kira might have a great ideal, but he still remains a criminal.''

Near's rival widened his eyes in shock. ''B-But how...how are you still alive?!''

The golden-haired woman smiled sadly. ''I have no idea.''

''What did he do then?''

 ** _Croc._**

''He said he agreed with me.''

''W-What?! But that's nonsense!''

''I know. I still don't understand why he told me this. Maybe he didn't want me to understand he was in fact Kira. But that was useless.''

''Why?'' He frowned at her. ''How did you understand you were talking to Kira himself?''

This time, a genuine smile graced Elena's stone features.

''Ever since he mentioned the name Kira, I got suspicious. So I excused myself and went to the toilets. Once there, I made a little research about Kira. But I knew I had to make it quick, because if that guy was truly Kira, I could die at any time. So I called one of my old friends who worked at the DGSE— the french secret services— and had some connections with Interpol. I was lucky because he was indeed part of the meetings that dealt with the Kira case, so he had the informations L shared with Interpol. I told him my life was in danger, and knowing that he still had feelings for me, I knew he was going to give in to me.'' She spat those words as if there were nothing more than garbage to her.

''I was, of course, right. He soon revealed what I wanted to know, even though he warned me he will have to tell L about his disclosure and it was highly probable that L's agents were going to search for me to make sure I wouldn't talk about it. But I had what I needed, so I didn't listen to him and I hung up. I knew Kira was in Japan, and it was enough for me. I went back to the bar and I joined the man I knew to be Kira.''

Mello could do nothing but glare at the woman that managed to fool both Kira, L, the DGSE and Interpol all at once with pure amazement.

''How long did it take you to get this information and get back to Kira?''

 _ **Croc.**_

''I remember I checked on my wrist watch. It took me exactly six minutes and forty seconds.''

The blonde man froze at that revelation.

 _After writing the cause of death, details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds._

 _Holy shit. It's the exact time that's written in the Death Note! That can't be a coincidence! It means that asshole had time to write the cause and details of her death while she retired in the restroom. When she came back to the bar, she was under the control of the note. But...no. This is impossible. If she were, she would be dead in the next 23 days because you can't plan a death after that delay. Then how—_

''Uh, Mello...'' A soft voice interrupted his thoughts. ''Are you okay?''

''Yeah, yeah,'' he waved a dismissive hand, ''I just spaced out for a bit.''

''And when you came back, what happened?'' He focused his attention back on his hostage.

 _ **Croc.**_

''Well, then we carried on with the debate on Kira's justice and in the end, I told him I knew who he was.''

''You what?!'' Mello cried out. ''Are you insane, Cabestan, or did you really have suicidal tendencies?!''

''Perhaps both.'' She snorted. ''But I threatened him. I told him he could kill me, but I'd just made a call to an Interpol member, and if I were to disappear right after that call, it would not be that difficult to trace him.''

''You're a madwoman, Cabestan.'' He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

''I know, but that's what allowed me to stay alive.'' She fought back, lifting her chin defiantly.

''Fair enough. So what did he reply?''

''Well, unsurprisingly enough,'' she winced as if in disdain, ''he proposed me to became his ally. ''With your intelligence and mine merged together, we'll be unstoppable. We'll rid the world of Evil. I never found the woman worthy of me before today, but it seems I just did. Come with me, Elena, and we will build a new world together, a pure, new world. We'll defend and protect the weak you tried to defend from those crimes of passion everyday of your life in vain. With us, there won't be any crime anymore.'' He said. Obviously, I didn't fall for it. I told him that the wise and sane man would perhaps obey his rules by fear, but the mad man won't be able to control his pulsions and would kill no matter what sentence awaits for him. Death never was a punition, and it never will. At best, it's an act of mercy.''

Her kidnaper kept quiet for a while, as if pondering what the bold, and perhaps a bit insane, lawyer just said. Eventually, he asked, his voice suddenly hoarse.

''Why didn't you call back the man from Interpol or asked a meeting with L himself to denounce Kira?''

 _ **Croc.**_

''Because Kira was Japanese, so he would be taken care of by the Japanese's justice, who practices the death penalty. And as I said earlier...''

Glowing brown eyes met icy blue as Elena Cabestan spoke, slowly, firmly.

''Death penalty is no punition. I wasn't handing Kira over to the Japanese's justice whereas Japanese's justice was no better than Kira's. Giving Kira to L or giving L to Kira was exactly the same. The proof is here: when they lost, they both died.''

She averted his gaze as she folded her hands on her lap.

''And I must admit I felt pity for him. After all, he was born in a country that practices the death sentence, so of course he'd want to punish the criminals by inflicting death. Who could blame him for that? No one. I knew that killing Kira wouldn't change a thing, just like killing criminals wouldn't either. So I decided to end the game. I was not the world's greatest detective, I was not L who swore to the world that he would catch Kira. I am not childish, I don't hate to lose. I just want a true justice to prevail, and neither Kira's or L's was true justice. In a way, I understood Kira just like I understand criminals, just like I understand _you_ , Mello. You're all humans. You don't deserve to die, you're not carrying an infectious disease that needs to be eradicated. Eradicating criminals won't eradicate Evil. For there is no Evil without Good, just like there is no Good without Evil. This is the world's balance, and it can't be broken.''

Mello frowned ever deeper as he tilted his head to the side.

 ** _Croc._**

''There's something else.'' He stated.

Cabestan turned her head towards him. ''What?''

''There's another reason why you didn't denounce him. I wanna know it.''

The woman's lips curved into a discrete smile as she nodded. ''That's true, there's something else.''

The young man arched an eyebrow, urging her to develop.

''I didn't denounce him because it was pointless,'' she declared as she locked her gaze with Mello's once again.

''Why?'' He grumbled impatiently.

 ** _Croc._**

''Because, Mello,'' Elena said quietly, ''that man was already dead inside.''

And the former mafioso found nothing else to say.

* * *

Elena sneaked a glance at her captor as he was lying in the sofa, a chocolate bar stuck between his teeth, his gaze fixed on an unknown point in the ceiling.

 _Now is the time._

 _I don't know if I'm going to survive this, but I'm doing it for them._

 _For Mello and Near._

 _And for you, Matt._

 _You were right. Someone has to do it._

 _I am the only one who can carry on with the job._

 _I will do it._

She took a deep breath as she sat straight on her bed, turning fully towards the blonde man.

''Uh, Mello...'' She began quietly.

The man bit in his sweet fiercely.

 ** _Croc._**

He bent his head to the side to glare at his hostage with irritation.

''What?'' He growled.

''Can I ask you a question?''

''You just did.'' He muttered. ''But go ahead, ask your second question. I'll see if I wanna answer it or not.''

''Okay.'' Cabestan agreed cheerfully. She cleared her throat before she inquired in the most innocent tone she could perform. ''Do you hate me?''

This time, the dark-dressed man shifted position on the couch to face the french lawyer. He arched a quizzical eyebrow as he snapped. ''What kind of question is that?''

''It's, well...my question.'' The young woman replied bluntly, a hint of a smile gracing her red full lips.

Mello rolled his eyes as he rested his back against the sofa in a weary move.

''No, I don't hate you, Cabestan.'' He said in a groan, almost reluctantly. ''But you're so...''

''So...what?'' The criminologist quirked an eyebrow.

''So...''

''Yes?''

''So, uh...''

''I'm waiting...''

''Argh! Shut up, Cabestan!''

''Alright. But I'm still waiting...''

''Dammit! You're so fucking annoying!'' He shouted, then, pointing a finger at her, he claimed in victory. ''That's it! You're so annoying you're making me lose my mind!''

At his greatest surprise, the law professor only smiled widely.

''I see. And may I know why I am so annoying to you?'' She questioned, and something in her voice was slightly different, more venomous, more dangerous.

''I don't know, you're so...I mean, you're just...well, _you_!'' He let out angrily as he gestured towards her with a twist of his hand.

''Yes, I am aware of my identity, Mello, thank you.'' Elena sneered. ''But I want to know what you find so infuriating in my person?'' As she noticed the blonde's skeptical gaze, she found the motivation in her to present her arguments. ''This is just curiosity, but that would help both our understanding and our cooperation greatly, you know.''

''Yeah, well...'' He raised a hand to his temples and started massaging them absently. ''Well, I...''

Suddenly, his face twitched into a grin of pure fury as he let his hand fall at his side.

''I don't bloody know, okay?!'' He cried out, his voice more raspy than ever. ''I don't know why you're so annoying to me, but you are! And I suggest you stop being that unbearable, 'cause I'm not your buddy and I can end your life right away if I want to! So now you'll behave, is that clear?''

''Yes.'' Came Cabestan neutral answer. But the truth was, she was fighting herself not to show the satisfaction that was slowly overwhelming her. ''But I think I can help you with that, if you want me to, of course...'' She tried, her voice as quiet as possible, waiting for Mello's rage to unleash upon her.

Instead, the blonde scratched his chin thoughtfully, as if weighing the pros and cons of her proposition. Eventually, he raised his head, his cold eyes piercing through Elena.

''Right. If you're so smart, then tell me. Why do I find you so annoying, uh?'' He snickered disdainfully.

Elena Cabestan suppressed the sigh that was threatening to escape her lips as she thought.

 _Shit. He's going to kill me._

 _He is right. I may truly have suicidal tendencies._

But despite everything, she spoke, her voice firm and strong, for she wasn't afraid anymore.

''You want an answer to your questions? Very well, Mello. Be ready, because here it comes.'' She declared solemnly.

''You find me annoying because Near chose to kidnap me in order to help him catch you. You find me annoying because he never wanted any help, except _mine_. You find me annoying because _I_ was standing at his side. You find me annoying because you kidnaped me, and yet you have the feeling I'm still on _his_ side. You find me annoying because I keep defending _him_ , even when you're pointing a gun at me. You find me annoying because he trusts _me_. You find me annoying because he _needs_ me.''

The more she was talking, the more Mello's fists clenched at his side, the more his eyes narrowed at her, the more his brows twitched with pure hatred, the more his shoulders shook with concealed rage.

''You find me annoying because he wanted _my_ help, not yours. You find me annoying because _I_ am standing by his side, and you are not. You find me annoying because he placed his trust in _me_ , not in you. You find me annoying because he trusts me with his life and reputation, not you. And finally...''

Mello's features distorted into the most terrifying cringe she had ever seen, his lips curled up into a grin of pure disgust and hate, his eyebrows furrowed so deeply they could have entangled together.

If he were the fawn in the story, you could be sure he was about to charge his prey, and at the moment, his prey was no other than Elena Cabestan, who dared to speak the unquestionable, unacceptable truth.

''You hate me because he needs _me_ , not you.''

And this was too much.

Elena knew she had crossed the line when a blonde fury fell down on her, strong arms preventing her from moving, rough hands wrapped around her neck as she gradually felt air leaving her lungs.

But she didn't care. She had not said her last word yet. And if she was dying at Mello's hands, she would be dying with him knowing the truth.

''You...hate me...'' She panted, her voice more and more weak, ''because...I was...with him...and...you...were not.''

The grasp around her throat tightened as her glazed eyes met Mello's cold, menacing blue orbs.

''You hate me...'' Elena gathered the last wave of strength her body still possessed, and her lips managed to curve into a heartless, inhuman smirk as she gasped. ''Because...you think...he belongs to _me_...and not...to _you_.''

In a last raged breath, she let her eyes flutter closed right before Mello's incredulous, mad gaze.

Eventually, once dismay had left his mind, there were only wrath and fury, and that was when Mello truly lost his mind.

''NO! How dared you?! How could you?!'' He squeezed the woman's neck without any restraint. ''He's just a child! He was so innocent! How could you?! You didn't have the right! No. Destroy all your students if you want, for all I care! But not him! Not _him_! You couldn't... You couldn't! You're a monster! A MONSTER!'' And he shook the limp body so sharply it caused her head to swing back and forth, golden locks swaying around her pallid, hollow face.

All of a sudden, he froze. He opened his arms and watched Cabestan's body as it fell backwards and hit the bed slackly, just like a mere puppet whose owner would have abandoned on the floor.

Without thinking, he raised a hand to his cheeks as he felt something wet and hot flowing down his skin.

Tears.

But those were not tears of sadness, for as the woman had said, he hated Elena Cabestan with all his heart.

Those were tears of rage.

Still, he didn't care. He couldn't avert his eyes from the motionless body that lay in front of him, conscious-less, or perhaps even lifeless.

He rushed towards the stiff, immobile body and shook it with all his strength.

''NO! Don't you dare dying! You won't die! Someone like you doesn't even deserve death! WAKE UP, you worthless bitch! Wake up so I can kill you again, and again, and again! You're gonna pay for what you did, you whore! You—''

He didn't even notice when his limbs gave up, letting his body fall upon hers, nor when he hid his face in the creek of her neck, nor when he cried desperately, soaking the shining, golden curls.

''Fuck, you were right! I hate you! I hate you _so much_!'' He screamed as he knocked his fist on the mattress, right next to the unconscious woman's ears.

''How could you do that to him?! How could you do that to me?! How could you... How—'' He interrupted himself as his voice went suddenly huskier, quieter.

''He is not yours! He is...he is... He is _mine_.'' He whispered in her ears.

He couldn't see the bright smile that graced Elena Cabestan's features at that moment.

And when he felt a soft hand smoothing his hair gently, tenderly, as sweet as a mother's embrace, he first sighed in contentment, but soon he realized it was impossible. Unless...

He jerked back in a jolt in time to see the curled-haired woman smiling at him.

''H-How...how...how is that possible?!'' He stammered, his eyes as wide and round as saucers. ''You...you were—''

''Dead?'' Cabestan suggested as she straightened back in one prompt move. ''No. Unconscious? Yes. Though for a few seconds only.''

''B-But how...how is that possible? I almost strangled you, I— You had lost consciousness!''

''Yes.'' She admitted emotionlessly, as if she was merely talking about the weather. ''But you didn't choke me unconscious. In fact,'' she added with a proud grin, ''I did.''

''But that's not possible, I had my hands around your neck and I squeezed, and you—''

''Yes, I felt that, thank you very much.'' She cut him off right away as she applied her hands on her neck where a dark, red bruise had appeared, circling her throat. She winced in what he supposed was hidden pain. ''But this is not the reason why I lost awareness. Actually, I provoked my own loss of awareness.''

''But how?''

''Well, in fact, it's a very dangerous technique. So don't even think about trying it, okay?'' She looked at him severely.

''You're not my mother.'' Mello grumbled.

''Yes,'' she scoffed, ''and I'm glad I'm not!''

The blonde man rolled his eyes. ''So, how did you make it?''

''Alright, I'm going to explain it to you.'' She announced eventually as she started rearranging her clothes and hair as if she'd only been pulled out of a long night sleep.

''I knew if I told you those things, you would soon lose control. But I also had to make sure you wouldn't be so angry that you would kill me. Sure, I love danger, but I love my life more. So in the end, I had to tell you things that were going to weaken you both emotionally and physically. That's why I said I was with Near and he belonged to me— Don't look at me like that!'' She held a hand towards him as he was about to take a step forward.

''This is complete bullshit.'' She declared simply, as if it was the most evident thing in the world, and if you thought about it, it indeed was. ''I never was with him, and he never belonged to me. Everyone would have understood this was nonsense, except you. Because you don't trust Near, you don't trust me, and you don't trust yourself. But most of all, you're afraid.'' She explained as her gaze never left Mello's.

''That's why I knew you would be ready to believe me. And I also knew this would weaken you, because it would hurt you. So as I said that, I knew your grip around my neck would loosen, firstly because of your astonishment, and secondly, because of your hurt. Then you lost control and you cried, and those tears, contrary to what you thought, were tears of sadness, and at this moment, you weren't thinking about me, nor about your anger anymore. That is how I managed to make you stop choking me, so I could take a breath.''

The blonde man was staring at her in awe as she was exposing her tactics so nonchalantly.

''Then I had to make myself lose consciousness. There is a technique, a very dangerous one, that already caused many deaths, especially among children. In France, we call it ''le rêve indien''— the ''Indian dream'' in english, if we translate literally— and it basically consists in hyperventilating for a short while and then, holding your breath. That's what I did when I talked to you, I was panting purposely, and then, when I stopped, I held my breath. After that, I lost consciousness for a few seconds. Some people, when they regain consciousness, have hallucinations. That is not my case, because I am used to that practice.''

''I...I can't believe it.'' He shook his head. ''You planned all this.''

''Yes.''

''But that's...that's very dangerous!''

''Says the man that chokes people to death when he's a bit pissed off!'' Elena snorted.

''Yeah, but that—'' He sighed as he lowered his gaze. ''About that, I'm sorry.''

''No, you're not.'' She contradicted him coldly. ''But it doesn't matter, anyway. If you hadn't tried to strangle me, I couldn't have proved my point.''

''And what's your point?'' Mello asked, arching an eyebrow.

''Well, I already told you. All those things I said were true. I truly listed all the reasons why you hate me. But the reasons could be summed up in one single word.''

''Which is?'' He inquired, his voice filled with both irritation and weariness.

In response, Elena Cabestan offered him the most sneaky grin he had ever seen.

''You already know it, Mello,'' she said, clearly amused. ''There is a word for that feeling. It's called...''

She interrupted herself, as if enjoying the effect she was producing on Mello's disturbed thoughts, before she finished her sentence, her voice malicious and defiant.

'' _Jealousy_.''

* * *

''Hey, Mello.''

''What now?''

''I want to make another deal with you.''

The mafioso rotated his head to glare at the golden-haired woman who was still lying on her miserable bed.

''I'm tired of your deals, Cabestan.''

''I know, but you must admit the last times we made a deal, it worked out kinda well for you...''

Mello kept quiet for a while, before he reached out to grab a chocolate bar which he immediately brought to his mouth.

 ** _Croc._**

Elena puffed in annoyance, wondering if the blonde man weren't doing that on purpose, knowing the noise infuriated her more than anything.

''Fine. What do you offer?'' He muttered.

The lawyer smiled warmly. ''I know you're furious because I discovered you were jealous of me, just because of my relationship with Near— which is nonexistent.''

As she met Mello's gleaming eyes, she sighed deeply.

''Don't tire yourself denying it, I know it. That would be a loss of time, and I've the feeling we wasted enough time already. I know you're feeling jealousy, and that can mean only one thing: you care for Near, more than you would care for an enemy, and even more than you would care for a friend. Besides, we both know no one would care this way for a rival, and you never had something akin to friendship with Near. So this only leaves us one possibility.''

''Cabestan.'' Mello warned her with a throaty growl. ''I don't like where this is going...''

''I bet you don't!'' The french woman chuckled joylessly. ''But that doesn't change the truth. Though, for your pride and confort, I won't say the words you're so afraid of. You can already thank me for that. Any psychologist would have forced you into saying it just to make you accept it. The thing is I'm no psychologist and I'm sure you already accepted those feelings, you just never risked yourself to put words on it, am I right?''

In response, Mello lowered his gaze, pursing his thin lips together.

''Okay,'' Cabestan sighed, ''I'll take this as a yes. Moreover, you must know there is no shame in holding those kind of feelings towards a boy. No matter where you were raised, nor how you've been educated, just know that love doesn't depend on the country you live in, nor the beliefs you've been taught. Love is no law, love is fatality and you cannot fight it.''

She observed carefully as the blonde slowly raised his head, causing blue, glowing eyes to meet bright brown.

''Plus, I am not here to judge you. As you may have noticed, I myself have some sexual tendencies that might not be considered as acceptable by many people. But I don't care. And you shouldn't either.''

''Why...why are you telling me all this?'' Mello asked eventually, his voice slightly wavering.

''I know I'm not your mother, Mello. But you've been raised in an orphanage, and I guess you've got no one to tell you how love works. No family, no friends. So that's what I'm trying to do right now. I'm playing both the sister's role and the friend's.''

Mello nodded almost imperceptibly.

''The only thing you have to know is this: it's okay to fall in love with a boy. It's okay to fall for your enemy. Many people did before you, and many people will after you.''

''But I hate him...'' His voice was a bare whisper.

''I know, Mello.'' She smiled sadly. ''There is a fine line separating love from hate, and all you have to do is cross it.''

''B-But...I can't! I don't—'' He burst out as he threw his favorite snack on the table violently. ''I don't know! I don't know what to do! I don't know what to think! I don't know what's happening to me! What's wrong with me?! Something is wrong with me! It must be! I'm going insane... I'm insane! Oh God! I'm _fucking_ insane!'' His voice broke as he faced the older woman, spreading his arms in defeat.

''It was so easy...'' He murmured. ''It's so easier to hate him...''

''Nothing is wrong with you, Mello. And you're certainly not insane.'' Elena's voice soothed him. ''Hate is a very easy emotion to express, while love is far more complex. But it's easier than you think. All you have to do is let go. And for that, you have to make him understand what you _truly_ feel.''

''But...I don't even know what _he_ feels!'' He kicked the table with his foot. ''Argh! I don't even know why I'm bothering myself with this bullshit, anyway! It's useless.''

''Not if you have a way to prove how he really feels about you.'' She stated mysteriously, catching the man's full attention at the same time.

''But...how can we do that?'' He questioned incredulously.

The criminologist smirked eerily.

''What do you say if I give you the proof that he's just as jealous as you are?''

Mello blinked at her.

''B-But Near isn't— Near doesn't care, he—''

''No, no.'' Cabestan shook her head impatiently. ''Near is human, remember. And if he is human, he has emotions. If he can feel, he can feel jealousy. And if he feels jealousy, then it means he holds more than friendly feelings towards you.''

Mello furrowed his eyebrows in a skeptical way. ''Right. But how do you plan to prove his jealousy?''

''That's the most simple. All we have to do is to apply the same strategy I used on you.'' She winked at him. ''Without the unconscious part, of course!''

He smirked in response as he made his way towards his computer desk and sat in front of the black screen, switching it on.

''Right, so I will call Near, and...'' He glanced above his shoulder, waiting for Elena to expose her full and complete strategy.

The french woman's lips curled up into a smirk that matched Mello's perfectly as she declared deviously.

''And you will tell him you're having a romantic relationship with me.''

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

Mello's conflicted feelings, Elena's strange tactics, the mystery of Elena's past with Kira... Well, that was a L (Ahah!) of a chapter! I liked writing that one very much, I feel like that's the best chapter I've written so far!

Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.

I'll tell you that much more is coming in the next chapter...

 **Next chapter: Mello and Elena set a trap for Near, pushing the latter to his very limits...**

A special thanks to Caly and Yuuri Nikiforov for their kind reviews, it was more than appreciated! Thank you so much guys!

 **To Caly:** Merci encore pour ton soutien, ça fait plaisir de voir que certaines personnes sont attachées à cette fanfiction. Je suis heureuse que tu partages ma vision des personnages de Mello et Near, j'avoue que pour moi, c'est évident, ils ne pouvaient voir la vérité en face par eux-mêmes (d'où la présence d'Elena Cabestan dont les lecteurs, je l'espère, sauront apprécier l'utilité). Merci encore pour tous ces compliments, ça fait toujours autant chaud au coeur !

 **To Yuuri Nikiforov:** Thank you for your kindness, but I assure you there are people who are much more gifted than myself! ;)

Bye bye, humans !

 **Please leave a review to tell me what you think about how the plot's going!**

 _ **C.**_


	14. Hurt

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 14: Hurt**

Near was very busy contemplating his army of toy robots, moving and rearranging the ranks from time to time as the same disturbing, obsessing thoughts were engraved in his mind.

 _Miss Cabestan joined Mello seven days ago._

 _She told Lidner she would be back in a few days._

 _What is her plan?_

 _Didn't it work out yet?_

 _Why is she still there?_

The snow-haired boy froze, his hand stuck in mid air above a black soldier robot.

 _What if she prefers to stay with Mello?_

 _After all, Mello may be considered as an attractive young man according to the actual canons of beauty, and she_ _—_

He was pulled out of his unsettling thoughts by a loud ring that echoed in the whole dark room. Slowly, he rose from the floor and headed towards the giant screens. He sat on a wheel chair, one knee bent to his chest as he pressed the red knob, allowing him to accept the call. He didn't pay attention to the three SPM members who got closer to the computers as they heard the so-expected call, standing right behind him.

''Near.'' The husky voice filled his ears, and he couldn't help but feel a wave of relief and bliss at hearing it, even though he would never admit it to himself.

''Mello.'' He replied neutrally.

''I bet your little investigation is not progressing so fast now that Elena is not here to help you anymore.''

A light frown distorted Near's blank features. He couldn't see the same frown that pasted itself on Hal's face as well.

 _Mello never called Miss Cabestan by her first name before._

 _Why that sudden change?_

''Why did Mello call?'' He cut the game short.

''Ah, eager, aren't we?'' His nemesis sneered.

''Not particularly.'' He answered, his voice void and empty. ''I was merely wondering why Mello called me so early in the morning. Perhaps did he have something to tell me?''

''Always so straight-forward. You'll never change, Near.''

''Well?'' The world's greatest detective ignored his comment blatantly, feeling his patience slowly running out.

''Well, if you're so eager to know, then I'm gonna tell you.'' Mello sighed, though irony could be easily deciphered in his languid tone.

''I am listening.''

''I just wanted to tell you I'm detaining Kira's former ally in my bed.''

This declaration was followed by a silence akin to death.

Near's mouth opened slightly as his whole body stiffened, his eyes still fixed on the blank screens that displayed the big, dark **_M_**.

Hal Lidner was frozen in place, lips pursed tightly as her fists gradually clenched, causing her knuckles to turn white, while Gevanni and Rester seemed lost in the middle of nowhere, eyes moving from the blonde woman to the white-dressed boy back and forth.

Eventually, Near was the one who went back to his senses first and spoke, as emotionlessly as ever.

''Why are you telling me that, Mello?''

''Why, because I just found out Elena's link with Kira, obviously!'' Mello exclaimed cheerfully, clearly amused with the situation.

''And would you care sharing this information with me, or did you just tell me this in order to mock me?'' Near inquired coldly.

''To be honest, I first thought I was gonna tell you that just to tease you, but today I'm feeling rather...benevolent, so I'm gonna tell you what I know.''

''Very well.''

''A few years ago, Elena held a conference about crimes of passion at the To-Oh University of Law. Kira attended the conference and met her at the end. He had a few questions about the subject of the conference and asked her out to continue the conversation in a more calm and intimate atmosphere. She accepted and went to a bar with him where she discovered his identity. They discussed Kira's justice and she confessed she knew who he was. He then understood she was gifted with an exceptional intelligence, so he offered her to become his ally.''

The blonde man marked a pause purposely, and when he had fully enjoyed the effect he was producing, he added in the most steady tone.

''She said no. But unexpectedly, he didn't kill her. And she never did a thing to help the Japanese task force, nor L, nor you, to catch him. Actually, we could say they both protected each other...''

Silence took over the investigation room once again, but it was soon broken by the new L's deadpan voice.

''I see. So we can assume she was neither her ally nor her enemy.''

''Yeah.''

''Thank you, Mello. It was the information I needed, and you gave it to me, without asking anything in return. Or perhaps you would like something in return...?'' He questioned quietly.

''Not for now,'' his rival said mysteriously. ''But you owe me, Near.''

''I shall remember that, Mello. Therefore, if you—''

''Wait!'' A firm voice, carrying both irritation and worry interrupted the detective abruptly, causing the latter to turn his head towards its owner. ''How is Elena? Where is she? What did you do to her?''

A dark chuckle escaped the loudspeakers.

''Ah, Lidner.'' Mello said playfully. ''I was wondering when you were gonna start yelling at me.''

Cold, pale blue eyes narrowed at the screens as the former CIA agent spat disdainfully. ''Answer me, Mello.''

''Alright, alright! She's fine. And I didn't do anything to her— Well, nothing she didn't want, anyways.''

Lidner furrowed her brows ever so slightly as she shot a glance at Near, who was tilting his head to the side, arching a quizzical eyebrow.

''But you won't believe me, so I'm gonna prove you I'm treating her just well.''

Hal quirked an eyebrow as the screen went black.

''Hold on.'' Mello's voice ordered them, so they did, for they had no other choice but to wait.

Suddenly, the image came back, or more precisely, a picture appeared on the screen.

And it had the effect of a tsunami. A concert of gasps and muffled cries of shock made itself heard in the whole headquarters.

''No!'' Lidner called out almost desperately as she took a step backwards, putting some distance between her and the picture.

Stephen Gevanni and Anthony Rester gaped at the screen, before they quickly averted their gaze in embarrassment.

The picture showed a graceful, feminine figure lying on her belly in a small, tattered bed. Sheets and covers were wrapped around her legs, waist, and back, while one arm was falling off the bed, red varnished-nailed hand brushing the damaged parquet gently. All that could be distinctly seen were golden, sparkling locks sprawled all around the bright brown head.

In the table near the bed lay some stacks of chocolate bars. At the corner of the screen, the edge of a black-gloved hand was hovering above what must be the laptop camera.

One thing was sure. This was Mello's apartment and the woman lying on the bed was undoubtedly Elena Cabestan, and she was...completely naked.

L, the world's greatest detective, Near, or no matter how many names he used to shield himself, let all of his guards down, just like his predecessor had once done when he had heard the word ''shinigami'' for the first time in his life.

He gasped silently. His jaw dropped as his eyes opened widely. Then, his whole body tumbled backwards, drawing the chair with it, and he fell to the ground, hitting the hard, cold tiling in a loud crash.

And he stayed there, his eyes fixed upon the glowing screen that showed that sinful, painful vision.

 _No. This...This can't be!_

 _He didn't do this. He **can't** do this._

 _Why?_

 _Why can I feel as if something were pinching my heart...?_

 _I am not harmed, yet I feel as if I had just been stabbed._

 _Why? Why does it hurt so much?_

 _What...What is happening to me?_

Without thinking, he laid a hand on his chest, and more precisely, on his heart.

''L, are you alright?'' Lidner's cool voice managed to catch his attention.

''Cut off the communication.'' He commanded, his voice as sharp as a knife.

''What?'' The blonde woman was clearly confused.

''The red button. Press the red button.'' He gestured towards the desk.

Finally, Hal complied and ended the call, causing all the screens to go dark. Then she reached down and grabbed Near's left arm.

He was trembling.

''Near,'' she said as her voice softened, ''are you feeling well?''

''Yes, Lidner.'' He answered blankly as he stood up, leaning on Hal's strong hands. ''I am feeling well.''

He put his chair back at its rightful place and turned on his heels, walking towards the middle of the room, deadly slowly, where he took seat in front of his small army of robot toys.

He brought a leg to his chest as he rested his chin on his knee. He stretched a hand and knocked on one of the first-ranked robots.

All the robots fell backwards, one by one, one after another, until all of them were lying on the ground, creating a real endless carpet of toy robots.

All eyes were cast upon the white-haired boy who watched as his toys dropped in deep concentration, his eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly.

Lidner noticed in his way of moving that he was still shaking.

''I am perfectly fine.'' He repeated absently, as if for himself, and his voice was but a bare mumbling.

''I am _perfectly_ fine...''

* * *

''He fell off his chair.''

The golden-haired woman stopped as she was slowly putting her white shirt on.

''What?''

She glanced up at Mello who was turning his back on her, focused on his computer screen, which was formerly displaying a video image of the SPM headquarters, and that now had just switched off.

''He fell off his chair.''

''Oh my.'' The lawyer smirked to herself as she rose from her bed and walked towards Mello. ''I didn't know I was that sexy.''

The blonde man rolled his eyes. ''Damn, Cabestan! Do you never stop flattering yourself?!'' He grumbled, exasperated, but she would put her hand in the fire that a hint of amusement was present in his cutting voice.

''Hm...'' She mused aloud. ''Nope.'' She showed her most radiant smile.

''Whatever.''

''So he fell off his chair.'' The criminologist pondered the information as she raised a hand to her chin. ''And it was obviously not because of my lightweight attire. He reacted on shock. Of course, that could be a shock provoked by the mere idea of you sleeping with a woman...''

Mello glared at her annoyingly.

''...But then that would be overreacting. And overreacting is not L's cup of tea. So let's forget about the dumb theories, and let's get to the most probable...''

The mafioso arched a curious eyebrow at her, to which she responded with a smile of complicity.

''Jealousy.'' She declared in a confident voice, as if it was the most obvious thing on the face of earth.

''But how...how can you be so sure?'' Mello asked hesitantly, as if afraid of the answer.

''Simple.'' She shrugged as she headed back towards the bed. ''Jealousy fits could be divided into a minimum of three phases, depending on the subject, of course.'' She explained in her most professional tone as she sat back on the bed and resumed her dressing task. ''First, shock. That was the fall. I bet we could all agree on that, that was more than obvious.''

She looked at Mello as she was donning a pair of dark pants suit. She could see him nodding at her assertion, though he didn't turn around, giving her the privacy she so cherished. She couldn't suppress the smile of gratitude that graced her red full lips.

''Second, hurt. Near hid it pretty well. But I noticed, and I'm sure you did as well.''

Mello lowered his gaze to his hands. ''He reached up to his heart.'' He muttered gloomily.

''So you noticed.'' She nodded in acknowledgment as she was finally over with dressing herself. ''Third, anger. Some people feel a mix of anger and fear. But anger is always present. Even Near did feel it. We could see it if we looked at him closely enough, and Lidner noticed as well.''

''He was shaking.'' The man stated darkly.

''Exactly. He was trembling when Lidner helped him up. That was rage, and perhaps even a bit of fear as well.''

''He was shaking...'' He repeated absently, mechanically, his eyes still fixed on his folded hands.

''Yeah.'' The french woman frowned slightly. ''I know, I was just trying to explain—''

''Cabestan.'' He cut her off sharply, before he spun his chair around to face the criminologist.

''Yes?''

''He never shook before. _Ever_.'' He said quietly as he looked down, blonde bangs hiding his face.

''Oh dear.'' She winced a bit as she started pacing the room. ''So our plan did work— Well, our plan worked too well!'' She raised her hands to the sky. ''I'm afraid we hurt him, Mello.''

''I've never seen him like that.'' Mello continued speaking dully, ignoring Cabestan's remarks. ''Fuck!'' He leaned into his chair as he dug his fingertips into his blonde locks angrily. ''I thought he was heartless! I thought he didn't care! I thought— Argh! Fuck.''

''...And you thought he didn't love you. Yeah, yeah, I know!'' Elena complied wearily as she waved a dismissive hand at him. ''But that's not the point here, Mello. We need to fix this and we— Wait. No. No, no, no! _You_ need to fix this.'' She pointed an accusing finger at him. ''Because I only did as you asked! Plus, you kidnapped me, so I'm hardly responsible for what's happening! I can't do anything anyway. So _you_ have to something. You have to—''

She was interrupted by Mello who'd jumped from his seat and run towards her, closing his lean gloved fingers around her wrists.

''Wait a minute.'' He requested firmly as his voice got hoarse. ''Y-You think he loves me?''

''Well, of course he loves you, moron!'' She exclaimed as she freed herself from his grasp in a prompt move. ''You don't get jealous about your cousin! Think a little!''

''B-But then...if jealousy means love...it means...I love him too?'' He asked, panicking as he took a step backwards. But this was more a statement than an interrogation, and the two geniuses knew this too well.

''Oh Satan, please help that man! Please save me!'' Elena clasped her hands together as she raised her head to the sky in a parodic gesture. ''Come on, Mello! If your heart doesn't tell you, then at least use your brain! There're so many clues, so many hints... You can't deny it anymore!''

But Mello didn't answer. Instead, he was like frozen in place, his eyes wide opened, staring at the floor obsessively as if something was about to come out of the parquet.

''Well, that's not the problem right now. As I said, we need to fix it, but first...'' She trailed off as she glanced at her captor.

''What?''

''We had a deal. I helped you trap Near and you were supposed to give me something in exchange. I honored my part of the deal, now it's your turn.'' She crossed her arms on her chest as her determined gaze met Mello's.

''Fine.'' He sighed. ''What do you want?''

''A shower.'' As Mello gave her a confused look, she added. ''And a call.''

''A call?''

''Yes, I want to call someone. I think after all I've done for you, it's not too much to ask, is it?''

''Right.'' He accepted through gritted teeth. ''You'll have your shower. And after that, I'll give you my phone.''

''Thank you.''

''And who do you wanna call?''

''Hal Lidner.''

* * *

As the soothing sound of flowing water was gracing his ears, Mello was thinking about what he must do now that he knew that Near at least cared for him.

When Cabestan would come back from the bathroom, he will give her his cellphone so she could call Lidner, though he didn't quite understand why she wanted to call the SPK agent so badly. And most of all, he had to find a solution about the Near's situation.

 _Cabestan is right._

 _First, he was shocked, that's why he fell off his chair._

 _And then...he was hurt. That explains the hand to his heart._

 _But he was also afraid, that's why he was shaking._

 _But what is he so afraid of?_

 _Damn, I really don't understand a thing about jealousy._

As if the lawyer had heard his mental dilemma, she got out of the bathroom humming a heady french melody. As she met Mello's insisting gaze, she stopped drying her hair and arched a questioning eyebrow.

''What's wrong, Mello?''

''There's something I don't understand.''

''Ah, and may I ask what is that thing?'' She smiled slightly as she resumed drying her hair.

''Why is there fear in jealousy?'' He asked without any further delay.

In response, the criminologist smiled warmly as she sat on her bed. ''That's obvious, Mello. Are you sure you can't guess?'' She said softly.

The blonde man frowned as he looked down, deep in thought.

''I can't see why they'd be afraid when they get jealous. I understand shock, I understand hurt, I understand anger, but fear...'' He shook his head.

''Think a little, Mello. First, why would they feel shock, hurt and anger?''

''They'd feel shock 'cause they realize it's possible their— uh, companion— betray them, then they'd feel hurt 'cause they trusted them and their trust has been crushed, and they'd feel anger 'cause they'd misplaced their trust and they'd been left behind and...replaced by someone else?''

''Yes, for example. But of course, every situation is different.'' Elena nodded in agreement. ''Then if they had been betrayed, fooled, replaced by someone else, why do you think they would be afraid?''

Mello tilted his head to the side as he grabbed a chocolate bar with his right hand.

''Hm...'' He pondered. ''They'd fear they're not good enough, or that their lover find someone better. That they'll be alone.''

''Exactly. So why do you think Near was afraid earlier when he thought _we_ had an affair?''

''He was afraid because...he thought that I replaced him by you, and...that I don't care for him.''

The curled-haired woman only smiled at him genuinely. ''You see,'' she said gently, ''he is only human, after all. And as any other human being, he needs to know that he's not alone.''

''B-But...you...you think he truly believes I don't care?''

''Well,'' she scoffed mirthlessly, ''when you see a naked woman lying in your boyfriend's bed, you have all rights to have some tiny doubts about said boyfriend...''

''Near isn't my boyfriend,'' Mello growled. ''He's L. He should have thought about the possibility that it was all a trap.''

Cabestan quirked a skeptical eyebrow. ''Hey, it's Near we're talking about, remember? Not Snow-White. He might be awake and free of any poison's influence, he still doesn't understand a thing about his own emotions. I bet he didn't even understand what struck him when he fell from his chair and started shaking uncontrollably. He might even not understand why he feels so helpless and broken, right now.'' She declared in a harsh, reproachful tone as brown glowing eyes met bright blue.

''So now you're going to give me your phone,'' she ordered firmly while walking towards the bathroom to stow her towel, and as she got back, she added matter-of-factly, ''I'm going to call Lidner, and you're going to call Near to explain him why you did that and why he's feeling like this.''

''Fine.'' The blonde mumbled after a moment of silence. ''But why do you need to call Lidner, anyway?''

A melancholic smile crept on Elena Cabestan's stone features as she locked her gaze with Mello's.

''For the same reason as to why you're going to call Near. To make up for my mistakes.''

* * *

Hal Lidner was sitting on a red comfy couch in her apartment, staring at the city landscape that spread before her right behind the glass windows absently, taping her fingertips on the armchair nervously.

After Mello's call, the whole investigating building had slowly sunk into chaotic, silent agitation. While Rester left to go fetch their lunch without a word, Gevanni simply coughed awkwardly, taking his leave with one last worried glance towards the world's greatest detective who was still crouched on the ground, one knee bent to his chest, his dark bottomless orbs fixed upon the army of robot toys that was scattered on the dark floor.

And she, concealing all the fury and disgust her body could contain deep inside her mind, went towards the swinging doors and exited the working room without any comment. She didn't even bother to check on Near. Actually, she was so flustered herself that the idea didn't even crossed her mind. So she merely headed back to her flat, without caring for the empty, frail white figure that didn't move an inch as all his companions suddenly gave up and left him with nothing but his racing thoughts and bitter solitude.

After Mello's call, the whole place had fallen into a deathly, empty silence.

And Hal knew exactly why.

That was the first time Near ever showed genuine hurt.

So they all figured they better let him deal with it since they didn't know what to do nor how to act around him in such situations.

 _Elena would know_ , Hal thought, before she shook her head wearily. _No, don't think about her. She left us, she left Near...she left you. For Mello._

Then her fists clenched uncontrollably, her lips pursed into an enraged wince as her eyes narrowed at...nothing. For the person responsible for her misery had left.

 _For once, I found someone I was slightly interested in, and she's already gone... This is almost pitiful, really._

She sighed as she shot a gaze at her watch. _11:58._ She slowly rose from her seat. _I should go back to the working room, Rester should be back with the food by now. I'll just take mine and go back to eat it here._

She had the hand on the doorknob when her phone started ringing. She furrowed her eyebrows. _Who might that be?_ When her eyes laid on the small screen, she froze. After a minute pondering about what she was supposed to do, she decided herself upon answering.

''What do you want, Mello?'' She snapped.

''Hal, this is not Mello.'' A smooth feminine voice filled her ears, bringing light feather chills down her arms and shoulders. She barely scowled at the feeling.

''This is Elena.''

It didn't take long before Lidner regained her composure, putting back her mask of ice and poise on.

''Offending and betraying all your co-workers was not enough for you?'' She scolded. ''You need to give one last call with your new boyfriend's phone to taunt and gloat about your exploits on top of that?''

''No,'' the french woman answered quietly, ''of course not. I called you because I—''

''I don't care about what you have to say.'' Lidner cut her off, her voice as sharp as steel. ''You can sleep with whoever you want, but at least have the decency not to display your sex life to the whole world.''

She was about to press the end button when a pleading voice compelled her to wait.

''No! Hal, please, listen to me!'' Elena almost whined, her voice sounding more weak and vulnerable than ever. ''Whatever you saw, whatever you think, it's all false.''

''What?''

''Look,'' she began hastily, ''it was all a trap. For L. It was my idea. I just didn't know it would grow out of control.''

''You're telling me you set all this up, just in order to trap Near into showing his emotions?'' She asked in disbelief.

''Yes.'' The criminologist replied. ''I'm not sleeping with Mello, we just wanted him to believe it. Our plan worked, but the problem is it worked _too_ well. We didn't know this was going to affect him so much. I just thought he—'' She paused, then took a deep breath. ''I've miscalculated.''

The former CIA agent kept quiet, not so sure about how she should react to such revelation. _On one hand, she didn't betray us, but on the other hand..._

''I'm sorry, Hal. I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want to hurt _you_.''

''You didn't hurt me.'' Hal responded quickly, the lie forming itself and escaping her lips without a second thought. ''But Near... He is still shaken up, Elena. It's a good thing you're not here at the moment. I am quite sure he would find a way to lock you up somewhere and make sure you would never see the light of day ever again. You will have to apologize to him properly when you get back. If you get back one day, that is...''

''Well, as we spoke, Mello should be calling Near. I told him to apologize, this is the least he can do. I hope this will end well, because I didn't do all this for naught...''

''Elena,'' Lidner called, her voice slightly warmer, ''you're far too involved into all this. You need to be careful. Mello is dangerous, he's not one to mess up with.''

''Yes, I noticed.'' The curled-haired woman snorted, causing the SPM agent to smile as she realized she'd missed the sarcasm that seeped from Elena Cabestan.

''Did he...did he hurt you?'' Hal inquired, anxiety and perhaps a hint of anger disguised into a soothing tone.

''I am okay, Hal.'' The other woman chuckled lightly. ''Don't worry about me, I really don't deserve it.''

The platinum blonde only puffed in response, before she asked, concern inhabiting her voice. ''When will he let you go?''

A short pause, then a whisper.

''I have no idea, Hal. I have no idea.''

The blonde woman lowered her gaze to the floor as she fell silent.

''But before I get back, I'll need your help, Hal. So all my efforts won't be wasted.''

Lidner arched a curious eyebrow. ''What do you expect from me?''

''I need you to watch over L. Observe him, look over him, question him, analyze his every move and word. I need you to get him to think about his strange reaction to that damned picture. Make him wonder about what it means. Make him wonder about his emotions. Push him to his limits, push him to the edge. I want you to make him _confess_.''

''Confess _what_?'' She questioned skeptically as she tightened her grip around her cellphone, more and more bewildered by Elena's odd request.

A short silence, then a prompt, confident statement, as if no one could ever find the means to deny the truth it held. Hal could scarcely hear the sly, malicious grin that was undoubtably curving the lawyer's red lips at that very moment.

''His love for Mello.''

* * *

 _I do not understand._

 _Why?_

 _Why do I feel like my chest is crushing?_

 _Why do I feel like my head is spinning?_

 _Why do I feel so empty?_

Near lowered his gaze to his favorite toy robot, the white figurine which possessed articulated legs and arms. The robot he once gave Mello and that the blonde had returned to him, like new.

 _This is not making any sense._

 _There must be an explanation. A sensible explanation._

 _This is a puzzle I ought to solve, if it's the last thing I do._

The world's greatest detective was cut short in his thoughts by a loud, persistent ringing that echoed in the working room. Arching a quizzical eyebrow, he raised his head to glance at the giant screens looming over him.

 ** _M_**

White brows furrowed slightly as the young man stood slowly and headed towards the computer desk. A slender finger intertwined into silver locks, as he settled himself in a black wheel chair, bending his leg to press his knee up against his chest.

Near watched the red knob blankly, as if pondering what to do. _Answer? Or ignore? As one of the most talented and famous authors of all time once wrote, ''that is the question.''_

He looked up at the screens all displaying the same dark gothic letter that he'd so wished to see one year ago, right after he learned about Mello's death. He tilted his head to the side.

Answer? Ignore?

 _That is definitely odd._

 _He called barely a few hours earlier. He got what he wanted._

 _He usually calls approximately once in two days._

 _So why call back right now?_

 _What is so important that it requires an emergency call?_

 _Well, I suppose that I will have to find out..._

As he kept twirling a strand of hair with his right hand, he stretched a lean finger of his left and pressed the red button. As a well-known low voice filled his ears, telling his name in a raspy murmur, he couldn't suppress the light shudder that crossed his whole body, moving from his neck to his lower back.

''Near.''

He pursed his lips, trying to conceal that strange emotion that suddenly struck his bust full force.

 _What is happening to me?_

''Mello.'' He replied in a deadpan tone.

He believed he heard a stifled groan on the other side of the line, and since his patience had completely run out by now, he decided to take the next step right away.

''What do you want, Mello?'' He asked, his voice as cold as ice.

''Near...'' His nemesis repeated miserably, his voice almost inaudible.

''Yes, Mello. What is it?''

''Near, I...''

The snow-haired boy couldn't hold back the deep sigh that escaped his pale lips as he glanced down at the desk, his fingers whirling in his hair ever so fast.

''Mello, if you have nothing to say, then I would prefer you end this call immediately. To be perfectly honest with you, I am currently not very thrilled with the idea of talking to you, so if you will excuse me—''

He reached down towards the keyboard when he was interrupted by a hoarse, desperate scream.

''NO!''

Near froze in place, his hand floating in mid air, his eyes laying on the blinding white screens, as if waiting for an answer to this sudden twist of situation.

''Don't.'' Mello said as his voice regained all its calm. ''Please don't end the call. I need to tell you something.''

''I am listening.''

Pause. Then a long, heavy inspiration made itself heard through the loudspeakers before the blonde boy spoke again.

''I wanted to tell you that,'' Mello began, his voice quieter than usual, ''I am sorry.''

The young detective simply stared at the blinding white screens in pure disbelief.

''Pardon me?''

''Fuck, Near!'' He snapped. ''You heard me! I'm sorry, okay? I didn't want to— well, in fact I wanted to, but I didn't know it was gonna end like this! It was all a trap, Near! It was Cabestan's idea, and I must admit I found it was a good one. So I listened to her.''

Near found himself strangely flustered at this statement and his mouth uttered the words as if by its own free will.

''I am delighted to know you get along with my co-worker so well, Mello.'' He spat icily. ''But I fail to see how this is any of my concern. If you wish—''

''No! You said you were listening to me! So listen to me, for fucking God's sake!'' Mello cut him off angrily. ''It was all fake, Near. What I said about Cabestan, the picture, everything. It was all a trap. We set all this up to trap _you_ , Near.''

The younger boy widened his eyes in awe as his mouth opened, as if to speak, even though no words came out of it. Then he got back to his senses and glared at the dark thick **_M_** , as if he was glaring at Mello himself.

''Why?'' He questioned emotionlessly.

''Because I wanted to see how you'd react. Cabestan trapped me before, using the exact same technique. She made me believe you and she were involved into...something.''

''Why did she do that?''

''She wanted to test me. She wanted to see my reaction.''

''And...how did you react?'' Near inquired, a hint of curiosity trailing in his usually void voice.

''I tried to chock her to death.'' The blonde man declared, unfazed.

''Well, that is a bit extreme.'' The albino responded neutrally, though amusement could be deciphered in his dreary tone.

''What did you feel...when you saw the picture?''

Near stopped to ponder the question for a short while.

 _What did I feel?_

The answer then came to the light immediately.

 _Hurt._

 _I felt like my heart had been ripped off my chest and my limbs just couldn't bear me anymore._

 _But why?_

 _Why did I feel like this?_

''Near?''

He shook his head slightly, chasing the thoughts away.

''When I laid eyes on this picture, I first thought it was only a trick of my imagination. Still, my brain never deceived me before, so the odds that it was the case were very low, if not inexistent. Then I understood this was no hallucination. This was real, and for some obscure reason, I wished it was not. Yet it was. That is when it struck me.''

''What struck you?''

''Pain.''

''Pain? What do you mean?''

''Intense, unbearable pain.'' He said as he reached up to his heart, fixing the floor absently. ''It hit my chest. It hurt. It hurt very much. I don't know why nor how this happened, but after that I felt as if my body had been drained of all its life strength. I felt nothing but coldness and emptiness.''

''Near...'' Mello's voice was but a bare whisper.

''Yes, Mello?''

''I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you. I thought...I thought you didn't care.''

''That is what I thought, too.'' Near said quietly. ''But that was before I met you, I suppose.''

''You— Oh. Well, then, uh... Okay.'' He stammered, clearly at loss of words. ''So, uh...do you, uh, I mean— Will you ever forgive me?''

''I don't know, Mello.'' Near's bloodless lips curled up into a sly grin as his voice tinted with provocation. ''If you would be kind enough to come and pay me a visit, then perhaps I will seriously try and think about forgiving you...''

''Damn you, Near.'' The older man growled.

''Just promise me you will consider that option, Mello.''

''I— I can't! You know I can't! The moment I'll pass your door, you're gonna arrest me and bring me to justice! I'm not gonna shut my mouth and throw myself into the lion's mouth! I'm not that stupid!''

At his greatest surprise, his rival chuckled lightly.

''Oh, but who told you I am willing to bring you to justice?''

''B-But...because that's what you do!'' He stuttered as he grew more and more confused and embarrassed. ''You're L! You're the world's greatest detective, for fuck's sake! And I'm a criminal! I'm the scum you're trying to eradicate from the face of earth! You fight against crime. You fight for Justice!''

Near suddenly stopped twirling his hair between his fingers as he looked down at the black desk in silence. Eventually, he faced the truth. And in this case, the truth certainly didn't revolve around Justice. It never did, and it never will.

His eyes fluttered closed for a brief moment as realization finally hit him.

''No, Mello.'' He whispered. ''I do not fight for Justice.''

A few miles away from the SPM headquarters, a blonde man was left speechless at that confession and remained motionless, waiting, fearing the next words that will reach his ears. He shot a glance above his shoulder. His livid blue eyes met gleaming, malicious chestnut eyes as a golden-haired woman offered him a triumphant smile.

 _ **No**._

 _Near. Please, don't._

 _Don't say it._

 _Please..._

 _I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle it._

''I fight for _you_.''

Dark leather collided with wood in a banging noise.

 _Shit!_

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

Here was chapter 14. Thank you for reading, I hope you guys enjoyed it.

I must admit I felt a bit (just a bit) sorry for Near, but...it didn't last long! Now Mello fixed it, anyway, didn't he? ;P

 **Next chapter: Mello and Elena must face a very awkward situation, while Lidner tries to make Near confess.**

I must thank **Caly** , **markem** and **BarkingKittens** for their kind reviews, and I'll repeat myself here, but it's still very pleasant to read your thoughts and see you like that story. So please don't stop, you're making my day!

 **To Caly:** Merci pour ton soutien encore une fois et merci également de partager tes sentiments sur chaque chapitre. Vraiment, tu n'imagines pas à quel point ça me touche, surtout ne t'arrête pas ! Je t'avouerai que j'ai pris un malin plaisir à écrire les scènes de confrontation entre Elena et Mello, et je reconnais que nous lui devons une fière chandelle pour être parvenue à tirer les vers du nez de Mello, même si ce fut assez violent ! xD  
Pour te répondre, j'écris mes chapitres seule et je ne me fais relire par personne, même si j'avoue y avoir pensé, mais me faire relire prendrait beaucoup de temps et ralentirait le rythme des updates. Et puis arriver à écrire en anglais toute seule est un challenge pour moi !  
En tout cas merci pour tous tes mots gentils ! Je fais du mieux que je peux et je suis ravie de voir que ça te plaît !  
Le prochain chapitre arrive bientôt, promis. ;)

 **To BarkingKittens:** Thank you very much for the compliments and for your support! It really helps me, I swear! I am glad you like how the plot is going so far, and I hope you'll like what is coming. Anyway, thank you for sharing your thoughts, please keep reviewing, you're really awesome! Next chapter is coming soon, please be patient. ;)

I've already finished writing chapter 15, so I'll update very soon.

 **Until then, please follow and review, this would mean a lot to me!**

 _ **C.**_


	15. Checkmate

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 15: Checkmate**

''Shit!'' Mello knocked down his fist on the black knob that cut the line immediately.

Light footsteps approached him very slowly, a smooth hand rested on his shoulder as he let his head tumble on the computer keyboard.

''I told you, Mello.'' Elena Cabestan said softly. ''Near doesn't give a damn about Justice. He only cares about _you_.''

At her greatest surprise, the blonde didn't pull away from her comforting touch, on the contrary, he leaned into her hand as he sighed deeply.

''Fuck.'' He groaned, the sound slightly muffled as he nuzzled his head into his arms. ''This is so messed up.''

''Yes. Love might be conflicted, scary, even dangerous, but that is no less beautiful.''

Eventually, the mafioso looked up to meet Cabestan's warm brown eyes. The lawyer then withdrew her hand from the man's shoulder.

''But it's impossible!'' He spread his arms in frustration. ''He's the world's greatest detective! And I'm a fucking criminal! It'll never work! It can't work!''

''It won't work if you stay locked up in this wretched apartment for all eternity.'' She clicked her tongue disapprovingly. ''Just go and find him. Make it work, Mello.''

''B-But it's impossible!''

''Only if you believe it is.'' She smiled at him. ''Remember Pan's words to Wendy. Trust pixie dust. Believe that you will fly and you shall fly.''

''That's bullshit, Cabestan,'' Mello spat angrily. ''It's just some fucking fairytales for dumb children that can't sleep at night!''

''And what do you think fairytales are made for?'' She inquired haughtily, as if suddenly peaked in her pride. ''Fairytales are made to teach a lesson, and that lesson can apply to both children and adults, Mello. Children are meant to become adults one day, after all. And sometimes, even adults can suffer from sleep disorders...''

''Whatever.'' He mumbled between gritted teeth as he folded his arms across his chest. ''We hate each other. I'm in the mafia. I kill people. He's a detective. He's working with the government. It's completely fucked up.''

Elena rolled her eyes as she turned away and headed towards her beloved damaged bed, shrugging her shoulders. ''I don't agree.'' She declared matter-of-factly as she sat on the thin mattress.

''Go to the SPM headquarters, go to him and kiss him like there's no tomorrow. No more detective, no more killer, no more law, no more justice. No _anything_. I'm pretty sure the word _'fuck'_ will take on an entirely different meaning then...'' She scoffed.

Mello spun his head towards her, his eyes menacing to pop out of his head in a delicious dumbfounded expression that caused the criminologist to grin cheekily.

''What in the fucking goddamn hell did you just say?!'' He stuttered, gaping at her in awe.

''Well, I just said that if you were to go to Near and act upon your impulse, there is a good chance that you—''

''Shut up!'' The blonde man yelled as he jolted up from his seat. ''Damnit, Cabestan! Do you never shut the fuck up?!''

''Not usually.'' The french woman replied very calmly as she checked up on her red fingernails nonchalantly, not in the least baffled by Mello's sudden aggressive behavior. ''But I could try, for your sake only though, I must precise.'' She added casually.

''Yeah, well, just— Just do that! Like _now_!''

''Okay. But—''

''What?''

''But you should really think about it, you know. I mean, not everyone can gloat about how they banged L, the world's greatest—''

''Cabestan. I'm gonna kill you this time...'' Mello clenched his jaw and fists in perfect synchronization.

''It's no big deal.'' Elena shrugged once again. ''I've seen worse.''

''You've seen worse?'' He raised a quizzical eyebrow.

All of a sudden, the curled-haired woman lowered her gaze to her hands and fell silent.

''Cabestan. I asked you a question.''

The woman looked up and smirked devilishly. ''Yes, but you've also told me to shut up. That's what I'm trying to do.''

''Argh! I hate you!'' Mello shouted as he threw the chocolate bar he was previously holding towards Elena who attempted to shield herself with her arms.

She then burst into laughter while Mello was pacing the room, raging and fuming as quietly as humanly possible.

 _What does she mean, she has seen worse?_

 _Does that mean..._

 _Fuck. I need to investigate that woman further._

 _She is holding something back. Something dark. Very dark._

 _I can feel it. I can almost see it. It's like an aura hovering over her like a rumbling cloud ready to explode._

 _I need to figure it out._

He glanced at the currently giggling lawyer, shaking his head in exasperation.

 _What if this time, it was my turn to help her?_

* * *

Hal Lidner entered the working room hesitantly to find a very motionless white figure crouched on the ground, facing a sea of fallen toy robots. She furrowed her eyebrows as she walked towards the world's greatest detective.

''L.''

''Yes, Lidner.'' Came Near's flat response.

''We need to talk.'' The blonde woman took a step forward, placing herself right in front of the snow-haired boy.

''Do we?'' The new L asked in a deadpan tone.

''Yes, we do.'' She confirmed firmly as she settled herself on a wheel chair right before him.

''Alright. What subject do you wish to discuss?''

Hal took a deep, silent breath before she spoke in an assured voice.

''I want to discuss your reaction after you saw the picture Mello sent you a few hours earlier.''

Near didn't even flinch at that statement, even though she was sure putting words on what happened at that very moment could only awoke upsetting, painful memories in the genius' mind.

''There is nothing to discuss, Lidner.'' He declared icily.

''I'm sorry, L, but I beg to differ.''

All of a sudden, the boy rose from the floor and started collecting all the robot toys scattered on the ground. Hal observed him as he picked the toys one by one and held them in his small frail arms.

''Ah. May I know why you would disagree with me?'' He inquired emotionlessly as he walked past the computer desks and towards some huge metal boxes disposed in a dark corner of the room.

''Because we both know there's something to discuss, Near.'' She said severely, as if scolding a child, while she watched him store the small robots in the boxes thoroughly. ''You fell from your chair. I saw you, Near. You were shaking. I could feel it when I touched you. You cannot say there is nothing amiss, I wouldn't believe you. No one would.''

''Still, I can assure you there is nothing afoot there. I was merely astonished to note Mello's unexpected change of heart and Miss Cabestan's true intentions towards the task force and myself. However, I now know with certainty that all this mascarade was nothing more than a trap directed against me. I am afraid there is nothing more to it than that.''

Hal couldn't suppress the bitter chuckle that escaped her throat, which caused the young detective to tear his gaze off his boxes now full of toys to look up at the SPM agent.

''You may be the most clever boy on the face of earth, Near,'' she began, her voice cold and harsh, ''but that doesn't make the rest of humankind a ragbag of complete and clueless fools.''

Near stared at her in utter silence, his dark bottomless orbs boring into her, devoid of any feeling nor emotion.

''I am no fool, Near. Neither is Elena. And neither is Mello. You can refuse to face the truth as much as you want, but it will only hurt more when you'll eventually be forced to accept it. Because if you keep burying your head in the sand, Elena and I will just have to pull you off the ground and dump you in the water, whether you like it or not.''

The white-dressed boy simply blinked at her, tilting his head to the side, as if pondering the metaphor the former CIA agent had just used to describe the situation.

''Moreover, you must know that I am already aware of the fact you confessed to Mello how you really felt in that moment. As a consequence, it is perfectly useless to deny it. I know you were hurt, Near.'' She crossed her legs on her seat, one above the other. ''So now, I am going to ask you a question, and you are going to answer me in all honesty.''

In response, L only frowned slightly.

 _Well, that certainly is problematic._

''Why did you feel hurt when you saw Elena in Mello's bed?''

Near lowered his gaze to the floor where laid the last three robots he hadn't tidied up yet. He bent down to retrieve them, resting them in the crook of his folded arms.

''I have no idea.'' He muttered as he stood up and headed towards the boxes.

''Don't lie, Near.''

''I assure you, Lidner, that I am not lying.'' He repeated quietly as he organized the last toys in the already full metal boxes.

Hal sighed deeply, pursing her thin lips together in a gesture of clear irritation. ''It seems I do not share Elena's skills in psychology, nor her innate talents in human interactions. I suppose that makes us quite alike, after all.'' She glared at the detective. ''I do not possess her patience either. That is why I will have to jeopardize the plan and take the leap for you, Near.''

The latter said nothing as he walked back towards his assigned spot on the ground, which was now in perfect order, recovering its previous empty, cold state.

''You felt hurt because you care about Mello.'' She announced, her voice steady and posed, as she leant forward in her chair. ''And you care so deeply that you simply cannot bear to see him with someone else. Elena knew that, that is why she decided on executing the plan. Although she didn't foresee that you would react so violently. Of course, she didn't know.'' Lidner sneered joylessly.

''She didn't know you never felt hurt before. Because you never cared. That is why you overreacted, isn't it?'' She locked her gaze with Near's dark eyes.

''Yes.'' He confessed, for the first time in forever, his voice barely audible.

''This was the very first time you ever felt hurt, wasn't it?''

''Yes.''

''Because this was the first time you cared, am I right?'' She continued, imperturbable.

''Yes.'' He cast his eyes on the floor as a lean finger reached up to his head to twirl a silver lock of hair.

''Very well.'' Lidner leant back against her seat, without taking her blue pallid eyes off the tiny, fragile figure slouched before her. ''We almost solved the puzzle. Hurt is a feeling, Near. But sometimes, it can be part of another one, a bigger, a higher feeling. Do you know what that feeling is, Near?''

The young boy shook his head ever so slightly as his finger kept whirling his hair frenetically.

''Jealousy.'' She let out finally, watching Near as he slowly raised his head to stare at her.

''Yes.'' She nodded as if answering his silent interrogation. ''This emotion is called jealousy. But you see, it turns out that jealousy is also part of a greater emotion itself...''

Strangely enough, Near seemed to get back to his senses, as if being suddenly pulled out of an intoxicating trance.

 _Jealousy? Part of a greater emotion?_

 _What might that be? To the best of my knowledge, the only feeling that involves jealousy is..._

 ** _No._**

 _She cannot possibly mean..._

 _She must be wrong._

 ** _No._**

 _She **is** wrong._

''No.'' He said, shaking his head, averting the blonde's gaze.

''No?'' Lidner arched an eyebrow.

''No.''

 _ **No**. This cannot be._

Hal held back the smirk that threatened to creep on her graceful features as she finally understood what happened to the younger man that could explain this unpredictable change of behavior.

 _Of course. He understands where I'm leading to. He understands what this means. And he doesn't want it to be true._

 _What a shame, Near._

 _Because I won't stop until you confess this is the one and only truth._

''I apologize, Near, but _yes_ , it is.''

''No.'' He said almost mechanically, as if he was nothing but a robot programmed to say only this word, over and over again.

 _ **No.**_

 _This cannot be. It's not..._

 _I cannot. He cannot..._

 _This is impossible._

''I deduce that you now know what I am talking about. This is a good start.''

 _ **No.** This is not possible._

 _This is unreasonable. This is foolish. This is madness._

 _I cannot._

 _I cannot say it._

 _I **will not** say it._

''Lidner,'' he spoke, his voice as sharp as a thousand knives, his eyes piercing hers like steel, ''I suggest you quit using this condescending tone with me. I must remind you that I am the superior authority within these walls and you are my employee. As such, you must obey my every word, and I am ordering you to stop rambling right away. This is hardly professional nor relevant to the investigation we are currently working on.''

His co-worker raised a skeptical eyebrow at him, as if she didn't believe this sudden display of irritability for a second.

''Fine. If you want me to be straightforward, then let me show you how this is relevant to the case. I will not pass through four paths to tell you what I must.''

''I'm listening.''

''You were jealous of Elena because you thought she was with Mello, and you wanted her nowhere near— no pun intended— him, simply because you want _no one_ near him.'' She said very slowly as she looked at the young detective intently. ''Except for yourself. That also explains why you want to catch Mello so badly, but never bring him to Justice. Because you don't want to arrest him for the sake of Justice. You want _him_. For your own sake. You want him for _yourself_. This is as simple as that. And that concerns the case very much, since you are not willing to hand the criminal you're hunting over to Justice, doesn't it?''

Near widened his eyes at the tall blonde.

''Of course it does.'' Her smooth lips curved into a satisfied smile. ''You understand nothing about your own emotions, but you are nonetheless aware of the existence of some basic feelings. Now, tell me, Near. What basic emotion implies jealousy and a strong, if not unwavering, desire to be with someone?''

As if it was humanly possible, Near's onyx orbs went as big as saucers as his lips parted slightly. Though, a half-second later, his eyes had already got back to their normal size, while he shut his mouth, his bloodless lips curling up into what could almost be described as a scowl.

 _So that's it._

 _Checkmate._

 _I have lost._

 _Well, I have no choice now, have I?_

''Are you insinuating that I might be infatuated with Mello?'' He questioned, his voice as blank as ever, his impenetrable gaze not meeting Lidner's once.

''Do you think I am right?'' Lidner shot back promptly, lifting her chin defiantly.

At her greatest surprise, L put his head down as he raised his hand to wrap snow strands of hair around his index finger.

 _This is too late._

 _I have lost._

''Yes.'' He whispered as if for himself.

''And what would be the probability of such a thing?''

 _This is the end._

 _He put me to checkmate._

Silence, then a murmur, as silent as the song of the wind.

''Ninety-seven percent.'' He breathed, white locks hiding his face completely.

''Rest assured that I will make sure the odds soon reach one hundred percent.''

 _We won, Elena._

The detective bent his head upwards, ink deep orbs locking with soothing azure eyes. Hal Lidner stood up from her chair, a genuine proud smile tugging at her red fine lips.

 _Congratulations, Mello._

 _For the first time in forever..._

 _You won._

* * *

''Elena.''

A golden-haired head raised from a cup of hot dark coffee, twinkling hazel eyes encountering icy blue.

''Ah. You're calling me by my first name.'' She stated as a light smile spread on her red lips. ''I don't know whether I should be honored or scared.''

The blonde man slumped on the crimson sofa, a chocolate bar stuck between his thin parted lips as he glared at the french lawyer with pure annoyance.

''Okay, okay.'' She waved a hand at him in a attempt at easing the atmosphere. ''What do you want to ask, Mello?''

The mafioso lowered his head slightly, causing yellow bangs to fall above his forehead.

''I know you're hiding something, Cabestan.'' He said, his voice more sharp and low. ''I don't know what the fuck it is, but I'm gonna figure it out, whether you like it or not.''

Much to his bewilderment, the curled-haired woman's lips only curled up into a discrete, melancholic smile as she sipped on her hot beverage. She put down the coffee on the small table and glanced up at Mello, a dark, eerie glow inhabiting her warm brown eyes.

''Good luck with that.'' She smirked slyly.

''I don't need luck. I'll get what I want by any means necessary.'' He snapped.

 ** _Croc._**

Elena barely whined at the infuriating noise. ''Yeah, well, I'm eager to know how you're going to manage that.''

''I have many relations, remember?'' Mello's lips twisted into a cheeky grin.

''Yeah, yeah, you're a very active and dedicated mafioso, I got that.'' She sighed as she lay down on her bed, fixing her gaze on the poor ceiling. ''I'm sorry to tell you that, Mello, but my past truly has nothing to do with the current predicament we're facing. I can assure you that, even if you manage to discover all my _'dark secrets'_ ,'' she mimed the comas with her fingers in a sarcastic move, ''it won't be of any help.''

The young man chuckled mirthlessly. ''You're only telling me that so I won't try and find your dirty little secrets. Don't take me for an idiot, Cabestan.''

''Oh, believe me, Mello, I take you for absolutely anything _but_ an idiot.'' She affirmed in a soft voice.

''Then why are you trying to lure me away from the subject?''

 _ **Croc.**_

The criminologist let escaped a deep, long exhale as she slowly straightened up to sit on the tattered covers, staring at the blonde wearily.

''Because some secrets are better left buried, and you are no one to pretend to bring them back to life, Mello.'' She replied coldly.

His eyes narrowed dangerously at her as he jumped off the couch. ''But—''

He froze, his jaw dropping, dazed blue eyes gazing right back at blinking chestnut eyes.

 ** _Knock. Knock. Knock._**

The two geniuses simply stood still, looking at each other in awe as someone was firmly knocking on the door, both obsessed by the exact same interrogation.

 _Who is that?_

As if reading their minds, a tough, grave voice echoed on the other side of the door.

''New York City Police, please open the door.''

As if it was possible, Mello's eyes grew even larger. Elena's brain raced at lightning speed as she was thinking about a miracle that could allow them both to get away with this dilemma. Then it hit her. She restrained a growl at the thought of what she was about to do.

Then she cleared her throat, making sure she had Mello's full attention. She nodded at him, gleaming, confident eyes boring into him, as if to say ''please, trust me.''

Mello nodded back at her as he raised a questioning eyebrow.

Eventually, the woman spoke aloud, her voice slightly transformed.

''Uh... Sorry mister, it's very embarrassing... Could you please wait a minute?'' She asked in an odd voice, slightly pitched.

Then Mello understood what was off with that strange voice.

 _The accent. She mimicked the American accent. What the hell is she doing? Fuck, I have no other choice but to trust her. If she gives me away, it's over._

''Miss, is everything okay? We received a complaint for disturbance, we just need to check if everything's alright in there. Could you open the door, before we're forced to break in?''

''Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. But please, let me dress myself. I'll open the door right away.''

Mello glared at her, a threatening glint shining in his blue eyes. In response, the woman took a few light footsteps forward and muttered, just loud enough for Mello to hear.

''Get in the closet! I'll handle them.'' She gestured towards the wrecked wardrobe that stood at the opposite side of the tiny apartment.

''What?! No way! You go hiding, and I'll handle them!'' He cried out as quietly as possible, before he pulled a gun out of his leather pants. He loaded the weapon and pointed it at the door.

''No!'' He was interrupted by smooth warm hands that closed around his gloved ones. ''Don't do that, Mello! Think a little! If the police don't see their troop coming back, they'll just send another one, they'll get even more suspicious, and they'll arrest you!'' She hissed. ''Now go and hide in the closet. I know what to do.''

''But I'm not gonna hide in the closet! What if they rummage the studio? What if they find me?!''

 ** _Knock. Knock._**

''I'm sorry, Miss, but we really need to get in. If you don't let us in, we'll have to force the door...''

Elena shot an annoyed glance at the door. ''Yeah, yeah, one second!'' She yelled for the policemen.

''Trust me, Mello.'' She then turned towards the man, resting a hand on his shoulder. ''I am the queen of manipulation, right? So let me manipulate them. I'll get the both of us out of this mess, I promise.''

''B-But, I can't hide in the closet, I—''

''Oh, come on!'' She burst out eventually, sparkling brown eyes launching lightning bolts. ''You spent your whole life in the closet, I'm sure you can survive a few more minutes! You'll have time to come out after that!''

As she spoke those words, she knew she had won when she met Mello's stunned gaze. Taking advantage of his state of shock, due to her very bold metaphor, she pushed him towards the closet and watched as he finally resigned himself to hide into the wardrobe, opening the door, slipping his thin frame inside in a muffled, animalistic growl.

''Miss, we're sorry but we're going to force the door. Please stay clear.''

Without a second thought, Cabestan rushed towards her bed. She took off her blaser and shirt in a hurried gesture.

''Get ready, guys.'' The policeman's voice ordered behind the door.

''One...''

Elena reached down to grab the cuffs that were formerly attached to her and that had been disregarded on the floor then.

''Two...''

She linked her own wrist with the headboard and got under the sheets, throwing the black jacket over her almost bare torso.

''Three!''

A deafening thump suddenly pierced her eardrums. She eyed the entrance where the door was levering off its hinges, tumbling forward, hitting the floor in a loud crash. Then a group of three armed, toned policemen entered the flat one by one, all searching the room with wrinkled, focused eyes.

''Good evening, gentlemen,'' she called weakly. ''I apologize if I don't greet you in due forme, but I'm a bit...indisposed right now.''

The first of the men, a tall, muscular salt and peppered-haired man— who seemed to be the chief— slowly approached her, putting his gun down, blinking at the enticing, alluring figure only covered by a thin layer of fabric.

''Uh...'' He stuttered miserably, concern lacing his voice. ''Miss, are you alright? Who tied you up to the bed? Is it your husband? Have your husband ever been violent towards you? Did he hurt you?''

Elena blinked at him, wearing an expression of pure disbelief on her faked innocent face.

''Oh, no!'' She giggled lightly. ''My boyfriend's a good guy. Don't worry. But, uh...you know,'' She looked away, a slight flush starting to heat up her cheeks, ''he has some weird fantasies sometimes, and— Well, I'm trying my best, like really, but sometimes it just ends badly...'' She sighed deeply as she slid a naked arm above the covers, causing a policeman to avert his gaze while the other only stared even more intently, swallowing the lump in his throat.

''He was starting to get angry for God knows what and he left.'' The curled-haired woman looked up at the chief, her eyes twitching with discomfort. ''And he simply forgot to untie me. It happens sometimes.'' She laughed wholeheartedly. ''But you must have crossed his path on your way here, no?''

''Well, we did see a man with short dark hair in the stairs. He seemed a bit peeved...'' The policeman mused aloud.

''Yeah, that was him.'' Elena chuckled for herself, shaking her head slightly. ''Anyway, why are you here?''

''Oh, yes!'' The man suddenly seemed to remember the reason of his visit. ''Well, I'm afraid you received a complaint for disturbing the peace of the neighbors, Miss. I am here to check if everything is alright and warn you that the disturbance shall stop, or there'll be legal proceedings, I'm afraid. The neighbors declared having heard shouting, crying and furniture crashing for a week. So you affirm your boyfriend never laid a hand on you? You know, you don't have to be afraid, there are systems to protect victims of domestic violence, you'll risk nothing if you talk—''

''I'm aware of that!'' She cut him off, as if outraged. ''But no, I promise you my boyfriend never hurt me. I'm sorry the neighbors complained about the noise, though. Maybe I should ask my boyfriend to, uh...take it easy when it gets a little bit, uh...heated?'' She bit her lip as she met the man's awkward gaze. ''I didn't know we were making so much noise though...'' She let her voice trail off as a small smile graced her gorgeous lips. ''We were just, you know—''

''Okay, okay!'' The policeman stopped her mid-sentence as he wrote something down in a tiny block-note. ''I got it. I guess the neighbors don't like young and healthy couples...'' He mumbled.

''Ahah! You're right! The other day, Miss Genkins told me my screams scared the hell out of her cat, so much that he started spitting on her carpet, and—"

''Hum, right, uh...'' He interrupted her once again, scratching the back of his neck, averting the woman's glistening eyes. ''We better get going, then. We apologize for the inconvenience and for the door, Miss, uh...?''

''Naomi Misora.'' Cabestan complied immediately, grinning at the man. ''It's okay. You were only doing your job.''

''Uh, yes... We'll send you someone to fix it in the next few weeks.''

''Cool!'' She winked at them. ''Thanks!''

The men were starting to turn on their heels when the chief exclaimed. ''Oh, Miss Misora! I forgot, I'm sorry. I'm gonna free you from those handcuffs, we can't leave you in this state. This is very degrading, and we already caused enough damage in your house...''

''Oh, don't bother! Really, it's not necessary. My boyfriend will be back soon, and maybe he'll be in the mood to continue what we'd started before he—''

''Oh, uh, okay...'' He stammered as he took a step backwards and towards the door. ''Well, uh, we'll just leave, then... Goodbye Miss Misora, have a nice day.''

''Goodbye, Miss Misora,'' said another policeman before following his chief towards the exit.

''Goodbye, Miss Misora!''

''Yes, thank you!'' She waved a hand at them. ''Goodbye, and good luck with your work!''

''Thank you very much, Miss!''

And with that, they left the flat and flew down the corridor. Once the sound of their footsteps vanished, Elena Cabestan groaned loudly as she smacked her forehead with her palm.

''Oh. my. Satan.'' She swore under her breath. ''I feel like a whore.''

A faint creak made itself heard on the other side of the room, but the young woman didn't bother to look up.

''You're a whore.'' Came Mello's amused voice from the opened cupboard.

''Hey!'' She protested as she withdrew her hand from her forehead to glance up at the mafioso. ''I just saved your ass, you dick!''

''Well, if you weren't talking so much, perhaps the neighbors wouldn't have complained about the noise in the first place, so...''

''Are you kidding me?'' She quirked an eyebrow. ''You've really stooped that low?''

''No, I am just stating a fact.'' He said, rubbing his dark leather pants. ''Damn, this closet is so fucking dusty!''

''Perhaps if you cleaned up the place more often, the closet would be more comfortable, and you could have stayed there for the rest of your life.'' She sneered, ignoring Mello's dark glare. ''Oh dear!'' Elena sat up on her bed in a jolt. ''I forgot!''

''What?''

''Congratulations, Mello!'' She said cheerfully, a large smile distorting her lips. ''You just came out of the closet!'' She then lost herself into a concert of joyful, yet perfectly ironic applause, under Mello's enraged gaze.

''Fuck you, Cabestan!'' He shouted at her.

''No, no, no.'' She shook her head, still smiling. ''Stop lying to yourself, Mello.''

''What?'' The blonde spat.

''I'm not Near.''

''I know that, thank you very much. And your point is...?''

''...You won't fuck me.''

''What the— You _bitch_.''

* * *

While Mello was busy dealing with Elena Cabestan's crude tongue, his greatest enemy was building a tower of Lego bricks in collected, peaceful silence.

Stephen Gevanni and Anthony Rester were both sitting in front of a computer screen, examining and scanning New York City maps which showed all the crime scenes represented by red crosses, all linked by a red thin line.

Hal Lidner was settled on a chair, in the darkest corner of the investigation room, staring at the white-haired boy still crouched on the ground, stacking some bricks one above the other in deep concentration. She was busy replaying the last conversation she shared with the detective in her mind, trying to draw the appropriate conclusions.

 _He almost confessed— No._

 _He **confessed** his love for Mello._

 _Very well. But now, what?_

 _Elena is still out there with Mello, and Near doesn't seem inclined to make a move whatsoever._

 _What am I supposed to do?_

 _Elena..._ She thought about the curled-haired woman. _What would you do?_

The seductive, entrancing voice of the french lawyer then echoed in her head.

 _''I will bring Mello and Near together, whatever it costs.''_

Hal let a little smile win over her usual blank features.

 _You were right, Elena. Like always, you were right. No matter the cost, we need to succeed where everyone else failed._

 _We will bring back Mello and Near together._

 _But since they can't get to each other on their own, I suppose we'll have to give them a boost, won't we?_

As she pondered those words, she stood up and walked to L. She stopped right in front of the Lego bricks tower, folding her arms across her breast.

''Yes, Lidner?'' Near acknowledged her presence in a flat voice.

Lidner furrowed her eyebrows. ''You owe Mello a favor, am I right?''

''That is correct.'' He confirmed, putting another brick on top of the tower.

''I was merely wondering, do you know how to return his favor?''

Eventually, the world's greatest detective looked up, causing black endless eyes to meet blue. He then frowned slightly as he focused his attention back on his Lego construction.

''I admit I had not reflected on the issue yet. But now that you say it, I suppose I will have to think about it.''

''And...'' She began quietly, following Near's moves with curious eyes. ''How about you call Mello right now and reveal an information that he doesn't possess?''

Much to her astonishment, the snow-haired boy only smirked, one corner of his pale lips lifting imperceptibly.

''That indeed sounds like a good idea.'' He mused, a small hint of enjoyment lingering in his usual hollow voice. ''Lidner,'' he called. ''Please press the blue button on the keyboard.''

Pursing her lips, preventing the annoyance to show up, the SPM agent took a step forward and complied. Soon enough, all the hanging screens turned white, with a black gothic letter at their center.

 ** _M_**

A dull tone rang, indicating the communication had been established. They were only three tones before a raspy, tensed voice echoed in the large working room.

''Near.''

''Mello.'' Near's bloodless lips curved upwards as he deciphered the slight spark of interest and surprise in his rival's voice. ''It is nice to talk to you...again.''

 ** _Croc._**

''What do you want?'' Mello mumbled spitefully.

''Alright, I shall go straight to the point, then.'' L stated emotionlessly as he removed a blue Lego brick from the construction to replace it by a red one. ''I owe you, Mello.'' He added more quietly, intimately.

''Yeah. So what are you gonna give me in return?''

''I am going to share a very confidential information with you. An information which, I am sure, will answer many of your interrogations.''

''Really?'' The blonde jeered. ''And what are those interrogations, then, Mister know-it-all?''

''Those questions are, for instance, why did I choose to call for Miss Elena Cabestan's help out of all the brilliant, skilled criminologists all around the world, among whom many certainly lived closer to New York than her, who is established in Paris? This is the one million dollar question, isn't it? One of the most complex puzzles you are currently trying to solve, am I right, Mello?''

Pause.

''Right. So?''

 ** _Croc._**

''So I am now willing to help you solve this puzzle by giving you the answer to that particular question.''

''Cut it short, Near.'' Came a throaty groan. ''Just spit it out already. Why did you hire Cabestan?''

The crouched figure's livid mouth curled up into a smug grin.

''Because her name appears in L's record.''

A deathly silence took over the investigation room, as well as the loudspeakers since Mello must be standing mouth agape in front of his computer screen at this very moment. Then the blonde broke the silence.

''What?''

''Do you remember the text Roger received after L's death, Mello?'' Near inquired as he resumed stacking Lego bricks.

''Yeah...''

''This text was most likely due to Watari's action. If something went wrong, he was ordered to press a button which would delete all the data, and then send an automatic text to Roger. But the thing is...'' He trailed off as he reached down to grab other bricks in his slim hands.

''All the data was not deleted after L's death.''

''W-What?'' Mello stuttered, out of confusion. ''But I thought—''

''Yes.'' He cut him off with his usual hauling voice. ''That is what Roger told us, and what L wanted Kira to believe, I suppose. Kira thought he detained all the data about the Kira case in L's headquarters in Japan, but he was wrong. As Watari pressed that knob before succumbing to a heart attack, a record had been automatically sent to the Wammy's House, along with the text and L's last message, in order for the new L to investigate the informations the first L had gathered during the last months of his life.''

''Okay, but why the hell would Cabestan's name be in L's record?'' The mafioso's voice raised slightly. ''I thought no one knew about her link with Kira! How the fuck would L know about her?!''

Near only shrugged in response. ''I guess it will appear more clear to you if I just let you see by yourself.'' Then, without tearing his gaze off the colorful tower of bricks, he raised his right hand to twirl a strand of hair around his index finger, and called out. ''Rester, please.''

The elder man rose from his seat and went towards the computer. He gave a few clicks here and there, and eventually, the screen went dark, except for a small text written with white tiny letters.

''I have just sent you the record, Mello. This is an exhaustive compilation of L's work during the last months of his life. Only two people in the whole world have access to such informations. _You_ , Mello, and myself. I will give you time to read through it.''

While Near lowered his head on his precious tower, Lidner, Rester and Gevanni all moved closer to the screen, willing to read the mysterious files at the same time as Mello, and probably Elena Cabestan.

Hal quirked an eyebrow as her curiosity was clearly peaked after L's cryptic speech. And so she began to read what was displayed on the black screen.

 _''The following is the record which contains everything I have investigated on the Kira incident. The fact that now you are reading this message means that I am no longer alive at this moment. I hereby leave this record as my firm achievement.''_

Right below this opening sentence were several folders. Two, to be precise. Lidner shot a glance at Gevanni, who had the same baffled expression plastered on his face.

' _'Light Yagami.''_

As her eyes laid on the second and last one with anticipation, gasps of shock could be heard all around her. Her entire body froze.

 _''Elena Cabestan.''_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

Here is Chapter 15. I hope you like it, guys!

A special thanks to **Calypsodanslalune** for her kind review, it was really nice!

 **To Caly:** Oui, je me suis énormément amusée à écrire les dialogues entre Elena et Mello, je suis contente que ça t'ait plu ;) J'avoue que j'aime me plonger dans l'analyse des sentiments de nos deux génies préférés, et je suis sûre que Mello et Near avaient besoin d'un médiateur pour les aider à se comprendre, et c'est justement pour ça qu'Elena est là ! Mello commence enfin à abandonner sa fierté, il était temps ! Pourvu que Near en fasse autant, mais ça ne saurait tarder...  
Merci beaucoup pour ces compliments, j'essaie de faire de mon mieux !  
Et encore une fois, merci pour ton soutien et tes encouragements, sache que ça m'aide énormément à continuer !

Thank you all for reading!

I've already started writing Chapter 16, so I'll be able to update in one week or so.

 **Follow the story and leave a review if you like Mello and Near!  
(If you don't like them, I'll have to ask you what you're doing here...and then I'll have to kill you.)**

Bye bye, humans!

 ** _C._**


	16. Cold Case

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 16: Cold Case**

''What the hell?!''

Mello was staring wide-eyed at the almost dark screen where stood the names of Light Yagami and Elena Cabestan, one above another. His gloved hands were slightly shaking above the keyboard.

Elena Cabestan was merely looking at the shocked mafioso blankly, as if this disclosure was none of her concern.

''Why the fuck is her name in L's last record?!'' Mello shouted at the microphone, his voice husky and creaked.

''Open the folder, Mello.'' Near's voice in the loudspeakers said neutrally.

As if controlled by some superhuman strength, Mello complied and clicked on the folder, causing a photograph along with some short lines of text to appear on the computer screen.

''B-But...this contains all the informations about Cabestan! Her date and place of birth, all the places she lived in, all the schools she went to, all the courses and thesis she lead, all the essays she wrote, all the conferences she made, all the people she frequented, even all the people she _dated_ , for God's sake! _Everything_! L knew everything about her! But why? Why the hell would he want all this data?! Why did he investigated her?''

The world's greatest detective only sighed very lightly.

''Scroll the screen, Mello. I am sure that, with a little bit of _patience_ , you will soon find an answer to all your questions.'' An ounce of derision could be distinguished in his languid voice.

Mello growled in response as he followed Near's advice, almost reluctantly. Suddenly, he froze.

''This is...this is the date, place and name of the conference Cabestan lead when Kira met her! There are some notes about it. L...L knew of that conference, he... Damn, I can't believe it!''

''What is it, Mello?'' His rival interrupted his course of thoughts with his usual deadpan voice.

''It's...it's L who told Kira about that conference. He knew everything about it, everything is written here. Its subjects, its interrogations, its examples, its demonstrations... L told Yagami to attend that conference. Why? Plus, Kira went to that meeting. He obeyed L. Why?'' Mello ran his fingers into his blonde hair angrily. ''Argh! It doesn't make any sense!''

''In fact, it does.''

The older man gazed up at the screen, quirking an eyebrow. ''How?'' He snapped.

''Let us say L was aware of the fact he was going to die at the hands of Kira. Then we can assume he would try to find a way to prevent his death from happening, that is mere logic.'' The new L declared flatly.

''So he found a way to make Kira doubt, and that is what Miss Cabestan's conference was made for. L probably thought that luring Kira into attending that conference would force him to ponder his actions, mostly because that meeting dealt with crimes of passion, emotions linked to murder instincts. This is quite obvious...'' He paused, before he added in a confident, emotionless tone.

''By advising Kira to attend this conference, he was hoping to trigger the last of humanity he thought Kira still possessed.''

''That makes sense.'' Mello frowned as he leant into his chair. ''But why did Kira follow his advice?''

''I will answer your question by another question, Mello. _Why not_?'' Near let out quietly. He seemed to have foreseen Mello's skepticism because he went on with his reasoning.

''My point is, Kira was on his way to win the game, he was about to get what he wanted the most, L's downfall. His worst enemy was doomed no matter what. So why not?'' He asked once again, as if humming a damned chorus.

''He must have been curious to attend the conference that has passioned his nemesis and so-called _friend_. He must have been curious to see the woman L spoke so highly of.''

The blonde man furrowed his eyebrows deeply as he waited for Near's full explanation, which followed right away.

''Of course, this is not only about curiosity. This is about strategy. There is a good chance L spoke of Miss Cabestan so highly in purpose, so that Kira would find it bizarre, almost surreal, for L never speaks highly of anyone. By doing so, he injected an idea in Kira's mind. He lead Kira to think that L was somehow attached to that woman, one way or another. Not so much nonetheless, for if he was, he would never have told Kira about her existence in the first place, but at least a little, enough for L to think so highly of her.''

A complete silence reigned in both Mello's flat and the SPM headquarters when Near stopped talking, assuring him that everyone was listening carefully to his every word.

''Thus, Kira decided to investigate that mysterious woman himself, for no one but himself was worthy of approaching one of L's closest acquaintances, or so he thought. He went to that conference in order to check if Miss Cabestan was a threat to him, since L has spoken of her as he would an ally, a partner. He went to that conference to see the only woman that had obtained L's respect. Eventually, he went to that meeting to see how much Miss Cabestan was involved in L's life.''

''Okay, let's assume that.'' Mello finally admitted in a groan. ''But that's a fucking twisted plan coming from L, no? By reuniting Kira and Cabestan, he was taking a great risk. He knew she's very clever. He must have expected Kira to offer her to rule the world at his side. What if she decided to join him? What if L ended up with two Kira masterminds to deal with instead of one? That was a dangerous move.''

''You would be right, Mello...'' The young detective stated neutrally. ''If L didn't know what would be Miss Cabestan's decision.'' He added quietly.

''What? What do you mean?''

''What I mean, Mello, is that there is approximately an eighty-five percent chance that L knew for sure Miss Cabestan would not accept Kira's proposition. Consequently, he had absolutely nothing to fear when he indirectly arranged the meeting that occurred between Kira and Miss Cabestan.''

''Yeah, but that only works if...'' The blonde cut himself off as he glanced above his shoulder, allowing his confused gaze to meet Elena's gleaming hazel eyes. The lawyer was silently looking back at him, as if challenging him to continue, her scarlet lips slightly curved into an almost invisible, unreadable grin.

''If L knew Cabestan.'' He finished absently, hesitantly.

''Indeed.'' Came Near's dull confirmation.

''Wait.'' Mello snorted sarcastically. ''Don't tell me you think L and Cabestan knew each other? Cause that's bullshit.''

''Well, in fact, it is the most probable theory I have come up with so far.''

''Please, tell me you're kidding me.'' He knocked the desk with his fist. ''Damn, Near! Use your brain! This isn't fucking possible!''

A sigh escaped from the loudspeakers. ''It seems like I cannot convince you with my words, so I suppose I will have to give you some material evidence.'' He said, his voice growing lower.

''Yeah, I'd like to see that.'' The mafioso glared at the curled-haired woman who was still sitting on her bed, twinkling brown eyes boring into him defiantly. She didn't move an inch nor say a single word as the two geniuses were gradually discovering more and more of her past, slowly pulling the pieces together. Her attitude was one of pure indifference.

''Very well.'' Near's voice suddenly sounded tired. ''Scroll the screen until you reach the end of the page. At the very end, there is a file linked to Miss Cabestan's profile. You will open that file. I hope this will satisfy you, Mello.''

Cabestan watched him expectantly as he did as told and suddenly gaped at the blank screen.

''W-What...'' He stammered miserably. ''What the hell is that?!''

''What did you find, Mello?'' Near asked very calmly.

''I found the file. It's called— It sounds like the name of a case, but— What the fuck?''

''Please read the name of the file aloud, Mello.''

''The Bells Ringer Case.'' Mello said in a murmur. ''What the hell is that thing?!''

''Open the file, Mello. Or should I say, _try_ to open it...''

The corners of Mello's lips twitched to form a distinct scowl. ''What do you mean I will try to—'' He stopped himself as his eyes grew as large as dessert plates. ''What the fuck is that?'' He snarled.

''What does the computer screen display, Mello?''

''It says ' _Please enter the password._ ' Shit! We can't open the file! L doesn't want us to open it! But why? Why would he share all those informations, just to enter some password and block the access! That's nonsense!'' He cried out in frustration, his arms lifting in the air.

''Perhaps this case is meant to remain strictly confidential,'' Near pointed out blandly, ''however I understand your point and I partly agree with you, Mello. This is indeed quite odd. This leaves only one possibility: find the password that will allow us access to this file.''

''Yeah, right,'' Mello chuckled bitterly, ''and how are we supposed to get that damned password?''

''Well, first of all, I suggest we question the only person who is still alive and has a certain link with that mysterious case...''

The mafioso opened his mouth to talk, but shut it instantly as realization struck him. Very slowly, he spun his chair around the face the golden-haired woman still comfortably leaning against the small bed headboard. The french lawyer blinked at him as she raised a hand to point a red-varnished finger at herself.

''Wait. You mean... me?'' She inquired hesitantly, wide-eyed in bewilderment.

Before Mello could shout his impatience and anger at her face, a void, empty voice filled the loudspeakers and reverberated in the whole apartment.

''Yes, Miss Cabestan. I was obviously talking about you. To be honest, I am curious to hear what you have to say about this rather unsettling situation.'' The world's greatest detective replied so icily it caused chills to run down the woman's spine.

''For once, I agree with Near,'' Mello interfered, his voice as harsh as the younger boy's. ''We want an explanation, Cabestan. Why did L investigate you? Why did he send Kira to meet you? And what the hell is that case named the Bells Ringer Case?!''

''Hey, who do you think I am?'' Elena fought back, a brown brow arched very high on her forehead. ''Do you think I was L's secretary or what? I have no idea why the hell— that word is quite accurate right now— would L investigate me so thoroughly, okay?'' She raised her voice slightly as she stood and walked towards Mello and the shining screen with firm steps.

''And quite frankly, I should be the one asking for an explanation right now! I have been investigated by the so-called world's greatest detective for my whole life against my will and without any justified reason! It represents a serious violation of personal privacy, and I'm not even willing to sue you and all your crazy detective fellows for that! And above that, I've been kidnapped _twice_ , you hear me? Not once, _twice_ , for Satan's sake!'' She howled almost desperately.

''And for what purpose? To become some kind of a hostage-criminologist-love-consellor for an albino child who doesn't even know how to spell the word 'emotion' and an hysteric chocolate-eater who's trying to pierce my eardrums with his chocolate bars when he's not trying to strangle me to death! Why? Because those two stubborn kids can't even manage to come out of that fucking closet on their own without killing and kidnapping people! So don't you _dare_ asking _me_ for an explanation!''

Elena Cabestan's features were distorted into a frightening grimace of boiling anger, her cheeks red with fury as she screamed until she was completely out of breath, her fists clenched, her body shaking from head to toe.

Mello was gaping at her awestruck while the loudspeakers transmitted nothing but a light crackle, leaving the SPM headquarters in a respectful and probably distraught silence.

Eventually, the criminologist seemed to regain her senses, catching her breath as her face gradually recovered their steady, composed features. She let herself fall on the sofa limply as she sighed deeply.

''I have no idea why L had all this data about me. I have no idea why he kept it and gave it to you. I have no idea why he wanted Kira to talk to me. I have no idea what that strange case is about. And I have no idea why I am somehow associated with it.'' She finally answered quietly, her voice weak from shouting so loud and for so long.

A long pause followed her confession, before Near's hollow voice broke the tensed silence.

''Thank you for your frankness, Miss Cabestan.''

''No problem.'' She mumbled as if for herself. ''But maybe— I mean, it's only a supposition, but it costs nothing to say it, I guess.''

The blonde man looked down at her expectantly as her red lips curled up into a tiny smile.

''Maybe the name of the case— the Bells Ringer— has something to do with Notre Dame.''

Now the blue orbs were growing as big as humanly possible as Mello's jaw dropped.

''Something to do with _what_?'' He stuttered.

The lawyer sighed again as she shook her head, lowering her gaze to the floor. She was about to enlighten Mello's interrogations when someone revealed themselves faster than her.

''Notre Dame de Paris is one of the most famous cathedrals in the world.'' Elena gasped discretely as she noticed in utter astonishment the total absence of American or English accent in L's voice as he spoke french.

''It is partially renowned for its prominent role in the french classic novel _Notre Dame de Paris_ whose history sets in 1432, written by the inescapable romantic french author Victor Hugo and published in 1831.''

This time, both the blonde man and the french woman were staring at the white screen, speechless as they faced Near's high-level knowledge.

''Moreover, the well-known animated movie _the Hunchback of Notre Dame_ made by the Disney studios in 1996 only helped to increase its popularity. And I am not even talking about all the musical plays that were set up, inspired by both Hugo's original story and Walt Disney's, in France, but also in England, in Broadway, all following the wild success of the animation movie during the nineties...''

''Near!'' Mello burst out, raising from his chair, glaring at the gothic L letter glittering on the screen impatiently. ''I don't give a fuck about musicals or cartoons! Just get to the point already!''

''I apologize, Mello.'' Near declared emotionlessly, though the words he pronounced caused Mello to frown slightly. ''I confess I have been rambling for a moment.''

The mafioso then turned towards Cabestan who had the same baffled expression plastered on her face. When their gaze locked, she shrugged her shoulders as if to say ''just another detective who's on drugs, nothing to worry about really.'' And they both reported their attention to the glistening screen.

''Now that we all know what we are talking about, let us go back to your theory, which is quite plausible, Miss Cabestan. And it is only more plausible because I myself heard of a very peculiar case dealt by L in the late nineties. A case that was somehow linked to churches, but more precisely, to bells. To say the least, that case remains nowadays unique in its kind.''

''Why unique?'' Elena asked out of curiosity.

''Because it remains the one and only case that L could never solve.''

This unbelievable revelation was greeted with nothing but silence.

''Yes,'' Near answered to silence.

''This is the only _cold case_ in the history of L's reign.''

* * *

''Did you try _Quasimodo_?''

''Hm.'' A quiet nod.

'' _Claude Frollo_?''

''Yeah.'' A mumble.

'' _Esmeralda_?''

''Yeah!'' An angry snap.

''And... _Victor Hugo_? I know that's the name of the author, but it could work! Did you try it too?''

''Fuck, yeah!''

''Uh... What about _Phoebus_? He's a stupid dick, but well, he's one of the main characters of _Notre Dame de Paris_ , so—''

''I tried that one too! I searched all the characters' names on Google, I tried them all! Nothing works! I just can't find the fucking password to open that goddamned file!'' Mello lashed out.

''Okay...'' Elena Cabestan sighed as she leant against the headboard wearily. ''The cat's got my tongue, then.''

''Oh come on, Cabestan!'' The blonde turned around to face the criminologist, pointing an accusing finger at her. ''Don't play dumb with me! I know you're linked to that case, you must have worked with L somehow, I don't fucking know why, but I'm sure of it! You know the password!''

''What the hell is wrong with you?'' She arched a quizzical eyebrow. ''How could I possibly know L's password?''

''He's so paranoid he's known only by a letter, he spent his whole life retired somewhere only he knows, he never showed his face to anybody but Kira— ironically enough I must add, but that's another story— but despite everything, he would have told all his passwords to a stranger french girl he never met in person?'' The curled-haired woman laughed mirthlessly.

''Please, tell me you're kidding me! What else do you think I know, now that you're at it? Do you think I know his mother's favorite color? His sister's height? The date of his first time? What again? The color of his boxers? Please, Mello.'' She held back a dark chuckle.

''I know it's been hard on you lately, with killing children, dealing toys, embracing your feelings for your worst enemy, and all... But now you truly lost your mind! Seems the sexual frustration got the better of you, my friend!'' She sneered.

''Don't try to fool me with your sassiness, Cabestan!'' Mello growled menacingly as he took a few slow steps towards the woman. ''I know you're trying to fool me by emphasizing the insanity of the situation! Don't you think I'm aware this is all nonsense? Don't you think I know how absurd it looks? Of course I know it's unbelievable, it's madness! But the facts are there!'' He gestured towards the computer screen which still displayed the file concerning Elena Cabestan.

''You can't deny it, Cabestan!'' He screamed at her mercilessly. ''This file is directly linked to your profile! It can't be a coincidence! You can tell me whatever you want, but it's still there, on _your_ page, with _your_ informations, right below _your_ name. So now, you're going to tell me the truth, or I'll have to get it out of you, and it won't be pretty!''

Elena stared at him in silence, before she lowered her gaze to the floor, sighing. Then she looked up, allowing bright hazel eyes to meet electric blue.

''I would like to help you, Mello, really.'' She said eventually. ''But I won't tell you the password. Because I don't know it.'' She added, her voice deadly cold.

Mello furrowed his eyebrows as he glared at the french woman intently, as if pondering her words, as if wondering whether he should trust her or not. He clenched his fists as he looked away.

''Right. I'll believe you.'' He muttered under his breath. '' _For now_.'' Icy blue eyes bore into her, as if he was trying to dissect her alive. ''Let's admit you don't wanna talk about it for now, I got it. Just know that I'll want an answer one day. And you're gonna give it to me when I ask. Do you hear me?''

''Yes.'' She whispered, her voice barely audible.

''I don't know what happened, nor just how far you're involved into that case, but I'm gonna find out. Hope I'll hear it from your mouth.''

''Yes.'' Another murmur.

''Fine.''

''Mello.''

''What?'' He turned around to gaze at the lying figure in the bed.

''I will tell you what I know.'' She let out, her voice suddenly husky.

He walked back to the couch and threw himself on the tattered crimson fabric. ''I'm listening.'' He grabbed a chocolate bar in his right hand.

''In 1997, there was a very infamous criminal striking in Paris. One of the worst France has ever known, actually. A psychopath, a mere butcher whose modus operandi consisted in kidnapping young women, detaining them in the bell tower of different churches of the city. The church was never the same, it changed with each victim.'' Her eyes fluttered closed for a short while.

''What did he do to the victims?''

 _ **Croc.**_

''He held them in the bell tower the whole night. He raped them. Twelve times.'' She swallowed her saliva. ''And then he threw them from the top of the tower. They were all found completely crushed, drowned in their own blood, lifeless on the ground in front of the church entry.''

The mafioso's features distorted into a disgusted wince.

''I see. That was not a man, this was a monster.'' He spat as he looked up to lock his gaze with strangely extinguished, pallid brown eyes. ''So that's why that case was called the Bells Ringer case. Because he kept his victims prisoner in the bell tower.''

 ** _Croc._**

''Yes, that is the first reason.'' She nodded as she crossed Mello's inquiring gaze. ''The second is, he used to ring the bells when he detained a prisoner. Each time he raped his victim, he would ring the bells, as if to inform the population and the police of his whereabouts. When the bells rang twelve times, it meant he was finished, and he was going to kill his victim.''

The corners of his mouth twitched fiercely as he stared at the criminologist in silence, waiting for her to continue her morose story.

 ** _Croc._**

''Okay, but what it has to do with you? How do you know all that?''

Elena only smiled sadly. ''Everything I know, I know it because L told me. He contacted me in 1997. He wanted my help on that case. So he explained me all the particularities of that case and asked for my collaboration. According to his researches, I matched with all the characteristics of the former victims. He wanted me to serve as a bait to catch the Bells Ringer.''

''He...he wanted you to let yourself catch by the criminal so he could follow your lead and then capture him?!'' The blonde blinked at her.

 ** _Croc._**

''Exactly.''

''B-But...in 2002, you were only a young girl, you were not a lawyer, you were—''

''I was a seventeen-year-old girl, yes.'' She complied in a very neutral, steady voice.

 ** _Croc._**

''But...how could he ask you that? That's insane—'' He interrupted himself as he met Cabestan's sarcastic glare, ''I mean, even for my standards, that's cruel! He can't use a teenage girl to catch a serial killer and rapist, that's... that's heartless!''

''That is why I refused to collaborate. Of course, he sent several of his agents to harass me and push me into accepting his offer, but I never bent to his will.'' Her red lips curved into a smug grin.

''Eventually, his foolish agents stopped following me like lapdogs and he left me alone. But a few weeks later, a new girl was kidnaped, but this time the rapist held her for an entire week. They never managed to locate the church in which he was detaining her, because he rang the bells in perfect synchronization with all the other churches, that's to say, each hour.''

She shook her head as if suddenly amused with this thought. ''L thought the Bells Ringer was constantly displacing her from church to church to avoid the police intervention. Of course, their work was not facilitated by the pastors and clerks, we can say all the Parisian clergy was trying to throw some sand into his wheels.'' She laughed.

''So he ended up clashing with all the Catholic leaders of Paris who refused to let him rummage the churches in the name of Justice. For them, it was simply impossible to conceive one of them was a serial killer and rapist.''

''Obviously.'' Mello snorted. ''So L never caught the Bells Ringer.''

 ** _Croc._**

''Indeed, he never did. The last girl he kidnaped was his prisoner during an entire week, but L never knew in which church he was holding her. But strangely enough, at the end of the week, he didn't kill her, contrary to the others. He set her free. The girl simply returned to her parents who was overflowed with joy when they notified the police of her return.''

''But L, he must have tried to interview that girl—''

''Of course he did.'' She cut him off sharply. ''But the truth is, he never reached to that girl.''

''What? But... why?'' Mello wore the astonished expression of someone who was discovering one surprise after another.

 _ **Croc.**_

''Because no more than a day after her return, the girl was gone again.''

''W-What? But then, that can only mean the Bells Ringer captured her again! That's it, right? He changed his mind and he kidnaped her again to kill her?''

''There are many theories about this unfortunate event.'' The fair-haired woman declared solemnly. ''Some people were adept of the theory you just worded, yet the facts didn't coincide. No dead body had been found at the front of a Parisian church in the next weeks, months, and even years. So whether the criminal had changed his modus operandi and started killing his victims elsewhere — but we all know this is very unlikely with this kind of disturbed personality — or he simply stopped killing. But either way, the girl was never found, dead or alive. She simply disappeared.''

''And much to L's fury,'' she grinned devilishly, ''the Bells Ringer vanished into thin air at the same time. No such kidnappings and deaths had been recorded since then.''

''Goddamnit, that's fucking nonsense.'' Mello sighed as he buried his head into his palm. ''They must have fled together, that's the only explanation. The girl must have suffered from a Stockholm syndrome and fell for her tormentor. So when she was set free, she couldn't bear to be apart from him so she went back to him and they ran away together.''

 ** _Croc._**

Elena Cabestan sat straight on her bed and folded her hands together, resting them on her knees as she looked at him from behind golden curls.

''That is very funny you thought of this hypothesis, Mello.'' She smirked at him.

''Why?'' He arched an eyebrow.

''Because L formulated the _exact_ same hypothesis.'' The corner of her lips spread upwards. ''Anyway, there are only two suitable theories. Whether the girl ran away with her torturer, or they ran away separately, each fleeing in a different — and probably opposite — direction.''

''Yeah, but if they ran away on their own, why the girl didn't denounce him?'' He asked, tilting his head to the side. ''She must have been afraid of him finding her again. Or she must have wanted to see him punished for what he did to her.''

 ** _Croc._**

''Not necessarily.'' The lawyer shook her head disapprovingly.

''She must have simply wished to run away, forget about everything that happened, start over a new life elsewhere, where no one knew her and her tragic story. She might have turned her back on the past, and decided that this criminal, this monster was not worth fighting for. What would she gain in denouncing him to the police, to L? She would have to testify at the trial, she would have to face him again, she would have to undergo all L's questions, journalists interviews, people's pitiful stares everywhere she'd go. And she would be plunged into her worst nightmare all over again. Do you really think that's a healthy, sane way of living, Mello?'' She questioned, her voice suddenly cutting, her tone condescending, judging.

''No, but...'' He frowned deeply. ''She should have faced her fate and testified. For all the other girls that died at this monster's hands, for all the girls that would follow, for her own sake, for revenge, for Justice! He had to pay, and she was the only one who could put an end to this carnage! Why did she run? This is so fucking selfish!''

He glanced down at his now empty packaging that once contained a full chocolate bar. He disregarded the torn wrapper on the ground in a prompt move.

''Mello.'' She said in an emotionless voice that he didn't recognize. ''I thought you would know that already, but it seems I was wrong once again.''

Glowing, darkening chestnut eyes pierced through him, as if they were going to devour him, destroy him.

''When your soul is rotten to the core, you can see nothing else than your own misery.''

After a few minutes of deafening, tensed silence, Mello realized he was staring at the golden-haired woman wide-eyed, mouth agape. On the other hand, Elena was simply looking back at him with twinkling, mischievous amber eyes, legs crossed, her hands still intertwined in her lap.

Eventually, he regained his senses as he put his head down, causing yellow bangs to hide his now insecure blue orbs.

 _I hate it when you're right, Cabestan._

 _And it feels like you're always right lately..._

* * *

''Hey, Mello.'' A cheerful, smooth voice called.

''What?'' A throaty groan.

''How about you call Near?''

Mello then turned fully towards the fair-haired woman. ''Why the hell would I do that?''

''Because I want to check if he changed his clothes like I told him to.'' Elena Cabestan answered blandly as she finished eating her scrambled eggs eagerly.

''You— Wait. What?'' The mafioso sputtered miserably as he gaped at the lawyer.

In response, she burst into laughter.

''Oh Satan. Mello, I'm kidding!'' She exclaimed, still struggling to hold back her laughing fits. ''Of course I didn't tell him that! I'm not his mother!''

''Whatever.'' He grumbled as he averted her gaze, probably too ashamed to admit he had fallen into her trap so easily.

''So why would I call him?''

''Because you want to hear his voice, and you want to see him use his pretty little hands while playing with those creepy toys of his. You're a masochist.'' She crossed Mello's enraged gaze, to which she retorted right away. ''Come on, you know you are. Plus, I want to see Lidner. Those are two very good reasons for you to move your leather ass to that chair and call your lover.''

''Near is not—''

She rolled her eyes. ''Yes, yes, I know.''

Mello seemed to soothe a bit at her admission, but he was soon disappointed.

''And I am utterly in love with Gevanni.'' She added teasingly as she winked at him.

Mello gave her the most unfazed, exasperated look she ever had the chance to experience, which caused her to hold back a chuckle.

''Very well, so now that we're both done with our shitty jokes,'' she stated as she put her fork down on her empty plate, ''I suggest we get back to business.''

''What business?'' The blonde quirked an eyebrow.

The french lawyer stood up and walked towards the computer desk and gestured towards the electronic device.

''I have an offer to make. It concerns both you and L. Now please call him.'' She glanced above her shoulder. ''You won't regret it, I promise.''

The mafioso sighed as he grasped a chocolate bar in the table and joined her, settling himself in the wheel chair. He raised a gloved hand and pressed the blue knob.

Three tones rang into the small apartment, before a cold, emotionless voice echoed in the loudspeakers. Mello couldn't suppress the chill that rolled down his spine. He growled as he met Elena's amused eyes.

''Mello.''

''Near.'' He said as icily as possible.

''It seems Mello cannot spend one single day without calling me.'' An hint of cheekiness could be deciphered in the blank tone.

''Don't flatter yourself, Near.'' Mello snapped. ''I wasn't the one who wanted to talk to you this time.''

''Oh really?''

''Yes.'' A feminine, confident voice replaced Mello's low voice. ''Sorry to disappoint you, L. But it was my idea for once. I have something to tell you, or rather to _ask_ you.''

''Miss Cabestan.'' The young detective declared neutrally. ''I am glad to hear you are feeling quite well. What is it you wanted to ask me?''

''Thank you, L.'' She smiled. ''Well, in fact, I want to offer you a deal. Actually, I want to offer you _and_ Mello a deal.'' She shot a glare at the slightly agitated blonde at her right.

''I am listening.''

Her red lips curled up into a satisfied smirk. ''Fine. Listen well, Mello, Near.''

She waited a few seconds, as if to make sure she had everyone's attention focused on her and only her, before she continued.

''I want you to know that I lied to you both.''

Mello frowned at her.

''Yes, I lied. So many times I can't count myself. But now I'm ready to tell you the whole truth. But all truth comes with a price.''

''What is it Miss Cabestan had lied about?''

''Light Yagami.''

The blonde sitting next to her froze at the mention of that cursed name.

''Yes, I lied about Kira. Or should I say about the first, second and third Kira, as well as his very... _charming_ spokesperson.''

A deathly silence followed that revelation.

''How in hell's name do you know that?'' Mello asked quickly, as if in a hurry.

''Because, you see,'' she turned her head slightly towards the mafioso, smiling at him with an ounce of superiority, ''I know everything about Kira. He told me everything. Misa Amane, Kiyomi Takada, Teru Mikami, Raye Penber, Naomi Misora.'' She paused, taking in to the effect she was producing, which was certainly just as devastating as expected.

''L, Deneuve, Coyle, Ryuga, Ryuzaki, Watari, Aiber, Wedy, Roger, Mello, Near, and Matt.''

''May I ask how you know all these women's and men's names, Miss Cabestan?'' Came Near perfectly calm, composed voice.

''For many months while I was staying in Tokyo, I was seeing Light Yagami. I told you I saw him once when I refused his offer.''

''Well, I lied.'' She sneered. ''I indeed refused his offer, but the truth is, I was too fascinated by this man to let him go. So I saw him another time, and another, and another. Time after time, I watched him as he slowly drowned into his own decay, sunk into chaos, gave in to madness. The change could be easily seen in his eyes. I'm quite sure all his puppets didn't notice, probably because they didn't want to see their God fall. But I did.''

She marked a pause, as if to take time and remind herself of those grim memories.

''The more we saw each other, the more he talked to me. He learnt to trust me, and he told me everything. Or at least, he told me things, and I managed to guess the rest.''

''What do you want, Cabestan?'' Mello muttered between gritted teeth, feeling his patience gradually running out.

''It's quite simple, actually. I promise I'll tell you everything I know, everything I learnt, everything Kira told me about the Kira case. I'll tell you about all the encounters I had with him in details.''

''What is it you want in exchange, Miss Cabestan?'' Near asked quietly.

Elena Cabestan offered a taunting, provocative look at the mafioso before she reported her attention on the dark gothic **_L_** at the middle of the screen, her bold smile only growing wider.

''First, I wish for Mello to bring me back to the SPM headquarters.'' She laid her eyes on him as if to check on his acknowledgement. ''And then...'' She rested her palms on the desk as she lowered her head slightly.

''I want Mello to come to the investigation room with me and meet L face to face. I want you two to meet in person, but most of all...''

Mello was staring absently at the screen, as if he didn't truly see the blinding white, holding his breath, while no sound came from the loudspeakers.

Then Cabestan allowed a devilish smirk to creep on her features as she dropped her last bomb, and this one was worst than atomic. It was apocalyptic.

''I want you two to meet...'' Her voice was low, slow, no more than a bare whisper.

'' _Alone_.''

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Here is chapter 16, I wrote this one rather quickly. I hope you enjoyed it!

 **Next chapter: Near and Mello will have to make a decision together about Elena's deal. What will they choose?**

Once again, I want to thank **Caly** and **markem** for sharing their thoughts, I hope you know how much your feedbacks mean to me!

 **To markem:** Well, that was my ultimate goal actually xD But I didn't know if I'd managed to make it truly interesting, so thank you for the compliment!

 **To Caly:** Voilà la réponse aux questions que tu te posais sur le dernier message de L. Bien sûr, encore beaucoup reste à venir...  
Oui, mon but était que chacune des filles s'occupe d'un de nos génies têtus, c'est pourquoi Lidner pousse Near dans ses derniers retranchements pendant qu'Elena se moque de Mello ! xD Et oui, peu à peu, nos deux tourtereaux finissent par s'avouer leurs sentiments. Il y a encore du boulot mais l'étau se resserre autour d'eux !  
Pour tout te dire, je me suis inspirée du manga. Bien que ce soit en noir et blanc, j'ai pensé que Lidner avait les yeux bleus. J'ai simplement écouté mon imagination. Je suis désolée si je casse tes rêves par rapport à l'anime xD J'avoue que j'ai aussi décidé de décrire ses yeux bleus pour faire l'opposition avec ceux d'Elena, opposition entre glace et feu (comme entre Near et Mello), mais bref ! En espérant que cette liberté que j'ai prise ne te dérange pas trop !  
En effet, l'expression ''coming out of the closet'' est l'équivalent de faire son coming-out, c'est à dire assumer son homosexualité. Et j'avoue que vu les circonstances je ne pouvais pas passer à côté de l'occasion, je devais faire la blague xD  
Encore une fois, merci beaucoup pour ton soutien. Sache qu'à chaque fois que je vois ta review, je ne peux m'empêcher de sourire tellement ça me fait plaisir ! Alors merci sincèrement de continuer à donner ton avis et partager tes sentiments à chaque chapitre !  
Le prochain chapitre arrivera j'espère la semaine prochaine !

 **I would like to have your feedbacks! Tell me if you like how the plot is going so far!** **Please leave a review, I would be very grateful!**

The next update will probably occur in a week or so. So I'm waiting for you next week!

Bye bye, humans!

 ** _C._**


	17. Passionate

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 17: Passionate**

''What...'' Mello sputtered in a throaty voice. ''What the hell?!''

''If I may ask, what benefit do you derive from this, Miss Cabestan?'' Near inquired in a deadpan tone.

''I have my reasons.'' Elena Cabestan's lips curled up into a sly grin. ''Though my reasons are not part of the deal. I'm sorry, L, Mello, but I can't tell you why I'm asking you that for now. I'm sure you're going to find out soon enough.'' She marked a short pause. ''So, what's your decision, L?''

''I apologize, Miss Cabestan, but I cannot answer yet. If I were the only one concerned in this matter, my decision would be already made, but the deal you offered targets both Mello and myself. Therefore I cannot deliver my answer without Mello's consent.''

Elena couldn't suppress the light chuckle that escaped her mouth as she turned her head towards Mello. The mafioso was staring at the screen, his eyes widening in awe.

''So it seems your little Near can't decide on his own, hm?'' She sneered, which caused the blonde to avert her eyes in what seemed like discomfort. ''What's your answer, Mello? Do we have a deal?''

''I'm not sure.'' He mumbled, folding his arms across his chest. ''If I weren't there, you'd say 'yes' without hesitation, right, Near? You don't care about the consequences, you'd do whatever you can to get the informations you need. The Kira Case is probably the greatest case you'll ever deal with. Even L died for it... So if you have to meet with me to get what you want in the end, it's not such a big deal. It's what you're thinking, right?''

''Mello is right.'' Came the detective's neutral response. ''However, in this case, it seems not only my approval is required, but yours as well. I know you will probably despise that mere idea, Mello, but for once we have to make a decision...together.''

The mafioso made a distasteful noise halfway between a roar and a whine as he cringed. ''You're sure it's worth it, Near?''

''Yes, it is.''

''Hm... Tell me you know what you're doing, 'cause I won't stand failure any—''

''I know very well what I am doing, Mello. I always do.'' The white-haired boy cut him off sharply, even though his voice was somehow growing softer. ''I am afraid you will have to trust me about this.''

Mello clenched his jaw so tightly his cheeks turned white. He shot a burning glare at the criminologist as he spoke between gritted teeth.

''Alright.'' He spat, without taking his eyes off the woman. ''I accept. We have a deal, Cabestan.''

''Indeed we have.'' The corner of her lips curved upwards, forming a toothy, scary smile.

''Whatever you're planning, Cabestan, you won't win.'' Mello added, his voice as cold as ice.

''Excuse me, but I wouldn't be so sure if I were you...'' The young woman chuckled dryly as she raised a hand to her mouth. ''Do I really need to remember you that I managed to defeat both Kira and L at the same time? Don't you think I can beat two sexually frustrated boys driven by only lust and rage?''

''H-How dare you?! You fucking—'' He shouted at her as he rose from his chair in one single move.

''Mello, please, stay calm.'' Near interrupted him in his usual cool, void voice. ''I am sure we can win against Miss Cabestan, as long as we stand together.''

Much to everyone's surprise, the lawyer burst into laughter, while Mello could do nothing but lower his eyes to the floor, closing himself in sterile silence.

''How could you possibly win when you have no idea what the game is about?'' She jeered. ''Moreover...''

She leant against the desk, darkening, glowing hazel eyes boring into the blinding white screen.

''I have already won.''

A carnivorous smile crept on her stony, elegant features.

''Miss Cabestan.'' Near said quietly, impatience and irritation could be read in his usually so composed voice. ''I believe we have a deal. And since you affirm so blatantly you have already bested us, I am certain you will see no inconvenient in honoring your part of the deal first, as a compensation to the losers...?''

Her scarlet lips widened even more. ''That would be okay with me...if I could be sure Mello is going to bring me back to the headquarters once I'm done.''

''Miss Cabestan.'' The world's greatest detective let out in an almost inaudible sigh. ''What do you think we were doing while you were being _detained_ by Mello? We weren't merely waiting for you to return. During the first five days, we managed to locate Mello's apartment, which means that if Mello is not willing to bring you back to me after you honored your part of the deal, we will be able to get you back.''

''And what if he kills me right after I finished talking?''

''Do not worry about such futile details. I have already sent two of my agents to your current location. If everything went smoothly, Rester and Gevanni should be right behind the door by the next four minutes.''

Elena Cabestan shook her head as she took in a deep breath, before she laid eyes on the twinkling screen once more.

''Fine. I'll trust you on this, L.'' She said finally.

''Well, then... Listen well, all of you.''

She smiled as if for herself, and that smile didn't sparkle with mischief and defiance, but rather tasted of grief and melancholy.

''It all started on the 3rd of October 2004...''

* * *

 **October 3rd 2004: To-Oh University of Law, Tokyo.**

He was walking through grand halls, dozens of bright, endless corridors, passing by hundred of empty classes and offices, until he reached the greatest amphitheater of the whole university. He stopped, staring at the huge wooden doors in silence. He then looked down at the small white card he was holding tightly in his lean hands. Gracious, well-written kanjis were perfectly carved by the hand of no other than the world's greatest detective L.

 _L... Why did you give this to me?_

He read the dark tiny lines of symbols once again, as if to check he had not dreamed the first time.

 _Crimes of passion: the dichotomy between love and hate._  
 _Conference in English by the French Penal lawyer Elena Cabestan, Professor at Paris Sorbonne University._  
 _To-Oh University, 2:30pm, Auditorium number 1._

 _Light,_

 _Please forgive my rudeness, I merely thought this subject could perhaps catch your interest as part of your studies but also as your status of future member of the NPA.  
_ _It has been several years since this conference has been held all around the world. I have attended it when Professor Cabestan visited Cambridge in England, I must say it was a very instructive experience.  
_ _That is why I suggest you attend this meeting if you have the chance. Who knows, it could turn out to be very useful.  
_ _I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did._

 _Ryuzaki._

Light Yagami gritted his teeth in spite as he raised his head to see a small placard: Amphitheater n°1. He clenched his fists in an almost imperceptible move as he pushed the doors open. He walked towards the front of the giant room and sat at the first rank without thinking. He was not one to hide behind the crowd. He was one to stand in front of everyone else.

 _Why am I here anyway? In a few days, L will be finally out of the way._ _So why am I following his advice? Why do I care?_

He was cut off in his thoughts by a clear, smooth voice which caused him to look up at the pulpit right before him.

''Ladies, gentlemen, good afternoon.'' A young woman said in a confident, limpid english, a brilliant smile gracing her scarlet lips. ''Let me introduce myself.'' She slid a golden curl behind her ear with a slim, graceful finger.

''My name is Elena Cabestan. I am a French Penal Law Professor, currently leading a course of Penal Law and Criminal Sciences at Paris Sorbonne University, where I did my Ph.D thesis— my doctoral thesis if you prefer— about the dichotomy between love and hate in crimes of passion, which is the principal subject of this conference.''

The brown-haired boy was glaring at the french lawyer in awe.

 _This woman... I have a strange feeling... Who is she?_

''I can see many of you came. I am glad to see this kind of topics can still concern students as young as you. And you are right to feel concerned!'' She pointed a red-varnished fingernail towards the audience.

''You are studying law, many of you came here in order to work for Justice in a near future. But you cannot serve Justice if you don't know a thing about crime. You can't fight for Justice if you don't _understand_ the basic concept of crime.'' She added in a grave tone. ''Many policemen, lawyers, attorneys, judges and so on, will tell you crime is driven by hatred, revenge, envy and all the worst sins that plague this rotten world...''

Yagamy couldn't suppress the smirk that curved the corner of his thin lips. Suddenly, he felt the blazing touch of hazel glowing eyes upon him. He frowned slightly as he met Elena Cabestan's deep, penetrating gaze.

 _What the...?_

''...But they are wrong.'' She let out eventually, without averting his gaze once. ''And I stand here right now in front of you to prove this point.''

 _L, you bastard. You just sent me here so I could hear that woman's bullshit. You think that could change my mind about Kira's justice? Do you really think that could change everything?_

He restrained a bitter laugh.

 _Of course not. If you think that, then you're more than naive, L._

 _But no... That's so unlike you._

 _I won't be influenced by some babbling of a foolish, oblivious french lawyer. I know where Justice lies. Because I am—_

'' _'I am Justice.'_ That's what they say.'' Red lips curled up into a wry grin as she shot a devious, unreadable glance towards the top-best student.

Light could do nothing but glare at her, frozen in place, his hands fisted in his pant legs, his eyes growing as wide as saucers.

 _How...How is that possible? It's like...it's like...she **knows**._

 _No. I must keep my cool. I can't let it show. I can't let anything slip out of control._

''But who can pretend to represent Justice when they cannot even understand the root of crime?''

Murmurs of approval echoed in the whole auditorium while Light Yagami was gradually invaded by a blind, dull fit of boiling anger.

 _Who does she think she is? She doesn't know what she's talking about! I know! I know why crimes are staining this world! Because some people are evil and nice people are doomed to suffer because of these worthless people...these criminals. That's why we need to eradicate crime, that's why **I** need to kill all the criminals and cleanse the earth from Evil!_

''...There is no such thing as Good and Evil. Justice is not mathematics.'' Elena continued, imperturbable, her dark amber eyes still fixed upon him. ''It's not appreciated like a binary language, which only contains two options: zero or one. Because if that was the case, we wouldn't need a jury, nor a court to judge. A simple machine could decide whether someone is guilty or innocent. But I'm sure you understood it already, as the clever people you are...''

Light had the strange, frightening feeling that her twinkling eyes were now piercing through him.

''Indeed, the world is not that simple. For if it was, it would be so, so, so...annoying!''

At the teenager's greatest surprise, she let escape a warm laugh. The young man arched a skeptical eyebrow.

 _Who's that joke of a woman?_

Despite his overwhelming sensation of fury, outrage and disdain that never left him during the following minutes, he somehow felt himself compelled to listen to the whole speech, theories, demonstrations and reasoning of the eerie golden-haired woman. So he stayed, sitting on his bench motionless, legs crossed, his bland, cold eyes glued to the mesmerizing presence before him.

 _No. This can't be!_

 _This...this woman is..._

 _Clever._

 _Yes._

 _Dangerously clever._

''...So now, let me tell you what really is the root of the criminal instincts which are sleeping in each of us.'' She said matter-of-factly as she met his eyes once again. ''Rage, fury, wrath, envy, jealousy, insanity, sadness, misery... Alone, they're not enough. Humans need to feel two basic emotions that will collide and awake confusion in their mind...pushing them to their edges, so much they will resort to violence.''

Light Yagami frowned slightly.

''Love and hate.''

He blinked in awe.

 _What? What the..._

''Yes. The two fundamental feelings that make humanity's purest essence are also the trigger to the worst of animalistic pulsions; crime.'' The curled-haired woman shook her head as a discrete smile tugged at her red full lips. ''But love alone, or hate alone, is not enough. It's the opposition, the conflict, the fight between these two perfect opposites that lead to chaos.''

Several whispers made themselves heard in the auditorium. A few heads turned back and forth, students sharing bewildered, admiring looks, while Light only stared at the criminologist in silence.

 _She's a mad woman._

''Actually, when I use the term 'opposite' to describe the link between love and hate...I am not telling the entire truth.'' Elena Cabestan declared in a neutral tone that caused the crowd to refocus its attention on her instantly.

''Because love and hate have something in common. Something substantial. Something that explains both all the sparks and all the damage they create when they meet. This something is the true purpose of humans life, the fuel of our existence.''

The corners of the teenager's lips slowly distorted into a scornful scowl.

''And that something is...''

 _Just spit it out, woman!_ He restrained himself from yelling at the lawyer out of frustration. Instead, he remained perfectly calm and composed, as always, when she delivered her last revelation.

''Passion.''

A deafening silence took over the whole amphitheater, causing the law professor to smirk in satisfaction.

''Yes. We talk about 'crime of passion', but in truth, all crimes are driven by passion. Hate, jealousy, despair, envy, madness... there are all different kinds of passion. There is no crime without passion.'' She leant against her seat as she raised a hand to her chin, feigning to think thoroughly.

''Intense, unreasonable emotional state that overcomes someone's mind willingly or unwillingly. That is the exact definition of passion. As you can see, both hate and love match with that definition, as well as murder instincts, I may add. Which means hate is not the contrary of love, but rather its complementary. The real contrary of love is...''

 _That's insane..._

''Indifference.''

Elena Cabestan was now facing hundreds of wide-opened, blinking eyes.

''I know this must sound completely senseless at first. It jeopardizes all the traditional values you've been taught so far. But let me explain myself, and I promise you will soon feel as if you'd finally seen the light for the first time in forever.''

 _And so full of herself, on top of that...!_ Yagami thought wearily, though he kept his firm gaze on the french woman.

''The desire to kill, whether based on love or hate, always comes from passion. An intense, unreasonable emotional state that overcomes someone's mind...'' She mused softly.

''One must be in a very tormented, disturbed state to have the desire to put an end to someone's life, don't you think? Criminals are ready to give up on their secure, balanced life in favor of one single thought that never leaves their mind— kill— and one single person they can't stop thinking about— the victim.''

She paused for a second, lowering her eyes to her notes.

''So if you please, let's forget about love and hate, because this doesn't matter anymore. What truly matters is that one single feeling that drives people mad and drags them into the depths of crime.''

Light couldn't tear his eyes off the fair-haired woman, his jaw clenched so tightly it was painful.

 _This woman is a criminal, I'm sure of it. She has all the characteristics... I can't be wrong. I must write her name... I must—_

''Obsession.''

Light quirked an eyebrow. _What again?_

''After all,'' the lawyer went on, ''what are murder instincts if not the obsession to stalk, hunt, purchase and kill? And what about obsession? Isn't it the perfect expression of an intense, unreasonable emotional state that overcomes one's mind? Somehow, we could say obsession and passion are two sides of the same coin.''

Suddenly, she pulled away from the micro as she dug her hand into her blazer. Light followed her every movement with inquisitive, suspicious eyes. When she withdrew her hand from the inside pocket, he couldn't help but frown even more deeply as he noticed a small, round, shimmering object in the palm of her hand.

''You see...'' She began absently as she stared at the tiny shining object in her hand. ''No matter what side it is, head or tail, obsession or passion, when you flip the coin...''

As she spoke, she placed what Light identified as a coin between her thumb and index finger and, with a flick of her index, she threw the coin into the air.

''It will inexorably fall...'' She rested her chin on top of her folded hands as she followed the coin's journey with gleaming eyes, a playful smile plastered on her lips.

Light, who didn't bother to look at the coin, contrary to all the students who mimicked the professor's actions without even thinking, restrained himself from rolling his eyes.

 _Heads and tails, really? Who is she kidding, seriously? I wonder what L found in her... She isn't the kind of—_

He was pulled out of his reflections by a loud metallic noise right next to him. He slowly put his head down, not ready for the sight that spread before him.

The silver coin had landed right in front of him on the wooden desk, only two inches away from his hands. Just as slowly, the young man raised his head to glance at the french criminologist who gave him the most radiant and taunting grin he ever saw.

 _What the..._

 _Who the hell is that woman?!_

''Let's consider this coin you can see right in front of you, young man, is the metaphor of the birth of crime. Now that you're here, young man, tell me.'' Her lips stretched ever so slightly as she locked her gaze with Light's fizzing brown eyes. ''If the coin had landed on its other side, would it have hit the desk differently?''

Light pursed his lips, containing the rage that threatened to implode inside of him. ''No.'' He replied under his breath.

''Indeed, it wouldn't.'' Cabestan nodded in agreement. ''That's exactly the same as crime. Whether driven by obsession or passion, murder instincts will express themselves, one way or another.''

 _It seems..._ Kira gritted his teeth even tighter as he grabbed the coin in his right hand. _I was wrong about that woman._

He closed his fingers around the coin in a fretful, violent manner.

 _I understand what you saw in her, L. She is not like the others. She is different._

 _She is a genius._

''So, ladies and gentlemen,'' Elena called distinctly as she rose from her seat, dominating the crowd with all her grace and poise. ''I see you got my point.'' A faint smile painted itself on her smooth lips.

''Never forget that there is a very thin line between love and hate. And that line is called obsession.''

Everyone in the auditorium has their eyes fixed on the french lawyer who was radiating with pride and contentment.

''And...'' She looked down at Light, as if she was addressing him directly and no one else. ''If you have already killed someone, that does not make you a monster. That only makes you...''

The corners of her scarlet lips lift upwards as she never broke eye contact with the top-best student.

 _''Passionate_.''

Light Yagami was staring back at the black-dressed woman in utter disbelief, unable to perform the slightest gesture nor pronounce a single word.

 _No... I can't believe it! It's like...she knows! No. It's much more than that. She..._

And the answer imposed itself in his conflicted mind.

 _She **understands**._

''Alright, then.'' She finally averted her gaze from him as she turned towards the whole audience. ''This conference is now over. I hope you appreciated. Thank you for your attention.''

Several groups of people gathered in different corners of the large hall were muttering, murmuring as they shot a few intimidated glances towards the Penal Law Professor.

Unlike them, Light was still sitting at the first rank, glaring at his closed fist that still held the silver coin.

 _This woman is not like the others. I need to... No. I **want** to talk to her._

 _And I will._

As he made a move to stand up, he was cut off by a clear, soft voice.

''Ah, young man.'' He froze. ''I'll ask you to give the coin back to me, please.''

He frowned in disarray as he opened his hand to examine the coin.

 _Seriously? She needs it? For one yen? Damn, that's—_

''That's not much, you might say.'' The lawyer chuckled lightly. ''But it might prove itself useful, who knows?''

Eventually, Light turned to face the criminologist. ''Of course.'' He said in a respectful tone as he walked towards the pulpit. When he reached the great huge desk, he found himself facing an opened hand, palm up and red-varnished nails. Even though he was first a bit startled by such a straightforward approach, he complied and delicately laid the silver coin in the woman's hand.

''Thank you, young man.'' She said gently.

She was about to turn on her heels when the student called. ''Miss Elena Cabestan. Can I ask you a question?''

The golden-haired woman arched a questioning eyebrow. ''Why not. Though depending on the question, I might not answer you. But go ahead.''

He furrowed his eyebrows as he tried not to show his irritation. _Yes, she definitely is different. No woman ever treated me with such...apathy._

''Alright. Well...'' He plunged his hand into his inside pocket and grasped the white card L gave him this morning. ''In fact, I came to this conference on a... _friend_ 's advice. He told me you were a very interesting woman whom he appreciated the work. He also said your thesis was of high, if not unbeatable level in this matter. So I was wondering if perhaps you'd know him. Here is his name.''

He handed out L's invitation card. He observed the curled-haired woman as she took the paper, placing a hand under her chin. Her eyebrows twitched imperceptibly as she read through the small text.

''Ryu...Ruyzaki?'' She shook her head as she gave the paper back to him. ''I'm sorry, I don't know that name. If I knew such a bizarre name, you can be sure I'd remember!'' She snickered. ''Well, I'm sorry I can't help you, young man.'' And with that, she turned her back on him to organize her stuff in her black suitcase.

For a few seconds, Light remained speechless, for he never met a woman who considered him with so little interest. He was the one hypnotizing people with his looks, voice and words. But that woman... She was completely hermetic to his charm. Despite his shock and incomprehension, he regained his senses very quickly.

 _She might not know L's Japanese alias, but I'm sure she knows him. I don't know how, nor why, but she knows L. Perhaps even personally. I need to figure it out. She could detain very important— no, vital— informations... I can't let her go!_

''Wait, Miss.'' He interrupted her, his voice as confident as ever. ''I would like to talk with you, in private, if that's possible.'' As he crossed Elena Cabestan's unconvinced look, he decided to use his strategic weapon.

 _If she's french, then she must know L's french alias, right? That would make sense..._

''I want to talk about Deneuve.''

All of a sudden, her gracious features tensed, her lips distorted into a distasteful wince, her eyes seemed to throw lightning bolts. She turned fully towards him, crossing her arms around her chest. She glared at him for a few seconds before she dug her hand into her inside pocket. She let out a tiny white card, strangely similar to the one L had given him earlier.

''Meet me at the Conrad Hotel restaurant tonight. 8pm.'' She commanded as she pressed the card in his hand, her voice as sharp as steel, her glowing amber eyes never leaving his chestnut ones.

She took a step backwards and turned away to take her belongings. She walked away, the echo of her heels clicking reverberating in the whole amphitheater. She stopped right before the front doors. She spoke, without bothering to turn around to face him.

''Don't be late, Mister Yagami.''

That is how the meeting of two masterminds, commissioned by a third one, marked the beginning of a long, unusual, inexplicable relationship.

* * *

It was exactly 7:30pm when he entered the luxurious hotel. Without further ado, he walked nonchalantly towards the entry of the restaurant.

''Good evening, sir. Do you have a reservation?'' A well-dressed server asked him, a polite smile plastered on his cold, stony face.

The young man slowly raised his head and looked at the waiter under his dark bangs.

''No, I don't.'' He replied in a monotone. ''However, I am looking for a friend of mine. Miss Cabestan. Could you please lead me to her?''

The waiter shot him a slightly baffled glance before he checked his registrer. ''Of course. Please follow me, sir.''

He followed the elegant server through black, sophisticated glass tables and velvet sofas and armchairs until they reached the corner of the large, intimate room where a woman was sitting on a purple velvet sofa, legs crossed, a hand under her chin, staring at the window as if in deep concentration.

''Here she is. I'll come back to take your orders in a few minutes.'' Said the waiter before he left almost reluctantly.

Without a word, the man took a step towards the chair facing hers. He disregarded his white shoes on the floor and crouched on his seat, legs bent to his chest, pale hands gripping his knees.

''Good evening, Miss Cabestan.''

The golden-haired woman didn't even bother to eye the new comer, as if the man sitting in front of her was of no concern to her.

''L.'' She stated coolly. ''You weren't the one I expected.''

''Oh, I am sure you would prefer to have dinner with Light Yagami rather than me, Miss Cabestan.'' He wriggled his toes on the smooth fabric of the chair.

''Though I must say it is useless to lie to me. You came to the meeting point half an hour before the appointment, on top of that you told the server you were waiting for someone who will arrive any minute now. If you really were waiting for Light Yagami, you would have come here at 8pm, or you would have told the server about your upcoming companion later, when the hour of the appointment was getting closer. But since you didn't do all of those things, I conclude you came here in advance in purpose. You were waiting for me.''

The french lawyer sighed deeply as she turned her head fully towards the world's greatest detective. ''I hate you, L. You know that, right?''

The detective barely shrugged his shoulders. ''Of course you do. I have many ennemies all around the world, but I don't count you among them. And to be honest, the reason of my visit has nothing to do with your feelings towards me, for you already have made those cristal clear to me more than once.''

Elena quirked an eyebrow. ''If you're here to ask a favor, you know what my answer would be—''

''I am not here to ask you a favor, Elena Cabestan.'' L cut her off sharply. ''Actually, I am here to give you a fair warning.''

She folded her arms across her chest. ''A warning, really?'' She chuckled joylessly. ''You've already given me countless of warnings, L. I don't remember taking any of those into account so far... I believe you'll have to find something more convincing.''

''Well, what is it we can offer you?'' A deep, amiable voice cut through their exchange, causing both the detective and the criminologist to glare at the troublesome waiter with annoyance.

''There will be a black coffee for me,'' L answered before Cabestan could even mouth a single word. He cast a glance at her surreptitiously, before he went on. ''And a glass of red wine for the lady. _Cheval Blanc 1986_ , if you please.'' He added as he plunged his dark, unreadable gaze into Elena's hazel eyes.

''Of course, sir.'' The server bowed slightly before he left as soon as he arrived.

''Look at you,'' the lawyer snorted disdainfully, ''trying to buy me with a famous, expensive wine...''

''Oh, but I am certainly not trying to buy you. However, I admit I was aware of your fondness of this particular château and vine.'' He lifted a lean finger which he shook from right to left. ''I am merely reminding you that I know you _very well_ , Elena Cabestan.'' He added quietly, menacingly.

Elena gritted her teeth, trying her best to suppress the urge to slap the man sitting in front of her.

''What do you want from me, L?'' She spat.

''You are playing a very dangerous game, you know that, don't you?'' The dark-haired boy inquired, tilting his head to the side as a cup of coffee was set before him, while a glass of whine was put at the opposite side of the table. ''Thank you.'' He said to the waiter.

Elena spun the glass foot between her thumb and forefinger, causing the crimson beverage to swirl delicately, before she placed her nose right above the glass.

''Why do you care?'' She asked before she dipped her lips into her glass ever so slightly.

''I care because, you see,'' he replied as he dropped one, two, three, four, five sugar cubes in his coffee, ''you are playing with _my_ toy.'' He raised his head, onyx orbs boring into brown.

''I see.'' The curled-haired woman couldn't refrain the smile that tugged at her scarlet lips. ''Possessive, aren't we?''

''Light Yagami is not a man to fool around with. You should be more careful.''

''Ironic, coming from you.'' She fought back, her smile growing only wider.

''Excuse me?'' He stopped, his spoon in mid air.

''I know you've entered in contact with that boy. He showed me the card you gave him. Of course I didn't know you were calling yourself Ryuzaki here— which is quite a lame alias if you ask me, but that's another story— but I recognized your handwriting instantly.'' She put her glass down as she leant towards him.

'' _You_ are the one playing a dangerous game here, L. You've never engaged yourself so deep in a case before, and I know what I'm talking about. Which leads me to think that...this boy is special, am I right?''

The world's greatest detective blinked at her, his spoon still suspended above the cup.

''You told him to go attend my conference, which deals with crimes of passion. This can only means two things. First, you know or at least you suspect that boy to be a criminal. Since we all know you're currently investigating the Kira Case at the moment, I suppose he's your Kira suspect number one.''

L kept quiet as he stared at the criminologist taking a sip of her wine before she continued.

''Second, you're emotionally involved with him.''

 ** _Clang._**

The spoon hit the black glass of the table in a loud noise. Elena eyed the utensil with amusement.

''If you weren't, you wouldn't have bothered to write this note and take all those risks to send him to me. Plus, there is the subject of the conference itself: crimes of passion. This certainly has something to do with you and him. If he's truly Kira, then he probably plans to kill you. If he kills you, then that would be a perfect example of crime of passion, wouldn't it?''

''My, my.'' She purred, the corners of her lips stretching in the most defiant, cruel smirk.

''You must hate each other very much...'' She paused, observing the pale man as he drank in his coffee loudly.

''Unless it is... _love_?'' She murmured, emphasizing the last word, but it was as if she just dropped a nuclear bomb on the man who simply stared back at her blankly, his livid lips hovering above his cup.

A deafening silence took over the two protagonists, but as the french lawyer understood the young detective was not inclined to answer, she broke the silence in a sigh.

''In french law, there is a principle which says 'silence means consent'. So I guess I am right then, since you didn't beg to differ...'' She flashed him a triumphant grin.

''In any case, I wonder why you sent that boy to me.'' She placed a hand under her chin as she reported her attention on the window once again. ''Perhaps it was meant to open his eyes to the reality of your situation. On one hand, a criminal forced to kill his worst nemesis, even though he's the only one who will ever understand him. On the other hand, a detective who has the choice between catching the criminal— but that would inevitably mean losing him forever— or letting himself get killed. How tragic.'' She snorted darkly.

''What will you choose, L?'' She questioned suddenly as she turned her head towards the raven-haired boy, chestnut eyes locking with black empty pools.

''I will do whatever it takes to bring Kira to Justice.'' He snapped, his voice as sharp as a knife, while he put his cup down on the glass table.

At his greatest surprise, Elena's grin grew even wider. ''You're lying, L.'' She said matter-of-factly as she shook her head lightly, causing golden curls to swing around her angelic face.

''I know the choice is hard. It is whether _you_ , or _him_. You can't both emerge from that unscathed. In any other case, you would have chosen yourself, of course. But this time...the criminal— the boy is different, isn't he?''

No response. L was staring at his empty cup with hollow eyes. The criminologist took another sip of her delicious red whine, ignoring the man's odd mutism.

''You know, sometimes winning is not equal to surviving.'' She said quietly. ''Sometimes the dead win over the living, even in death. For example, take two lovers who love each other so much they're destroying themselves and one another. One day, one of the two kills the other. Who won? The one who overpowered his lover and killed them? Or the one who died in the arms of their lover, making them suffer everyday with this painful memory, torturing them with remorse and madness for the rest of their life?''

L's gaze pierced through her, his right hand sill closed around his spoon, his slender fingers tightening their grip around the silver utensil. But his lips remained shut.

''In truth,'' Elena Cabestan continued exposing her reasoning, without averting her eyes from the detective's as she leant back against the comfy armchair, ''there are no greater ennemies than lovers. When you are in love with someone, it's so strong and so fragile at the same time...that the smallest detail can turn this devotion into hatred, for the smallest detail can cause the greatest damage to a caring heart. That is what humans are made of. Love and hate. Passion and obsession.''

''To have the desire to kill someone, one must be very obsessed.'' She observed him as he slowly laid the spoon on the black glass.

''And to have such a strong desire to destroy someone else...'' She smiled sadly as she eyed her now empty glass, before she glanced at the world's greatest detective, her eyes gleaming strangely. ''Kira and L must be very _passionate_.''

''But that's precisely why you suggested Light Yagami to attend my conference, isn't it?''

In response, L tore his dark endless eyes off the french woman, letting his gaze get lost far away in the urban landscape that spread behind the window.

''You are too clever for your own good, Elena Cabestan.'' He whispered.

''And you are too proud for your own good.'' She retorted, knitting her eyebrows.

Suddenly, it seemed something had caught the attention of the detective as his gaze was fixed in a particular point on the street. And without further warning, he rose from his chair and threaded his white shoes in a prompt move. Elena watched him as he turned away from her and gestured towards the exit. He stopped in his steps, his fists digging into his jeans pockets.

''Keep an eye on Light Yagami for me, Miss Cabestan.'' He said emotionlessly, without a single glance towards the lawyer who was looking straight at him in awe.

She lowered her gaze on the table, a ghost of a smile lingering on her red lips. ''I wish we had met on another circumstances.''

''Me too.''

She sighed deeply. ''I will.'' She nodded solemnly as she sneaked a glance towards L's crouched back.

''Thank you.'' He resumed his walking towards the door, before he stopped once again. ''Oh, and...Miss Cabestan?''

''What?''

'' _Comment va Esmeralda?*_ '' He asked, and she could hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke.

Her full lips curled up into a hateful, enraged scowl. '' _Elle va très bien, merci.**_ ''

''Very well.'' He nodded quietly as he made his way towards the server who seemed to be waiting for his leave.

'' _Adieu, Professeur Elena Cabestan_.'' He disappeared by the door who lead to the lobby.

The french penal law professor rested her back against her seat, as she let her eyelids shut.

''Rest assured, L.'' She muttered for herself as her gaze wandered to the window, following the white and blue figure which moved slowly towards a huge black limousine. ''You will soon be together in death...''

''Miss Elena Cabestan.''

She turned her head towards the source of the young, low voice. A tall slim man wearing a beige suit and red tie was standing next to her, looking down at her with a brilliant grin. She eyed her wrist watch, arching an eyebrow.

''Right on time, Yagami.''

''Of course.'' The student replied smoothly, his lips curving into a plastic, fake smile. ''I wouldn't dare making wait such a beautiful, delightful woman as you.''

She quirked a sarcastic eyebrow at him as she gestured towards the armchair before her with a flick of her chin.

''Then quit flirting, Light. You're wasting both my time and yours.'' She told him without any more frills, her voice harsh and cool. ''Take a seat, I believe you have something to tell me.''

The glare Light Yagami gave her at this very instant could have been enough to scare anyone to death, but not Elena Cabestan. His chestnut eyes were glowing with a deaf, concealed fury which could explode any minute now. But Elena knew better.

She watched him as he sat in front of her, crossing his legs one above the other, looking straight at her, his lips tightly pursed. If there was one thing she could say with certainty at this moment, it was the fact Light was severely wounded in his self-esteem, and she found this both delicious and pathetic.

 _You dick. You're no better than L._

 _You fools. You both deserve to die._

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 **Translation:**

 ***"How is Esmeralda?"  
** ****"She is fine, thank you."**

 **(For now it doesn't make any sense, but beware of Cabestan's reaction because it could give you a clue to what it is about...)**

Thank you all for reading!

First, I owe you an apology. I know I said chapter 17 was coming in a week or so, and now it's been what? Three weeks? Well, I'm sorry for the late update. In fact, I started college, and let's say work and studies got the better of me. But I'm absolutely not planning on giving up writing, don't worry!

As you might have noticed, now we're entering a flashback period. It will last probably one or two chapters more, and it will allow us to learn more about Elena's past, which is tightly linked to Light Yagami and L. I really like that part and I hope you'll like it as well, and if you don't, well just know that it serves the plot! It will explain a lot of things and answer most of your questions.

Like always, I want to thank those who reviewed and followed this story, your support is vital to me! Huge thanks to **CalypsoDansLaLune** and **Life-is-Ironic** (I agree with your username by the way) for their kind words, you really make my day each time I read one of your reviews!

 **Next chapter: Elena Cabestan finds out about Light's deepest secrets... What is he going to do about it?**

I don't know when I'll be able to update. Now that I'm back to college, I'll be more busy. But I'll try to update **at least** once in a month (if possible twice). Please bare with me and be patient, guys!

 **Please follow and leave a review if you want to see more of Light and L! :P So that I'll know you like this story and want to know what happens next. That encourages me to write a lot!**

Thank you all for your support and see you soon for chapter 18!

Bye, bye humans!

 _ **C.**_


	18. With Or Without You

_**New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 18: With Or Without You**

* * *

 **October 3rd 2004, 8pm: Conrad Hotel, Tokyo.**

''I see,'' Light Yagami mused, a hand raised to his chin, eyeing his delicate fish dish absently.

''So Deneuve asked for your help during the Bells Ringer case, which happened in Paris in 1997, and you simply denied him.''

''To put it simply,'' Elena Cabestan snorted as she planted her fork in her meat, ''yes, I did.''

The auburn-haired man tilted his head to the side. ''What do you mean, to put it simply?''

''Well, it was a bit more complicated than that. I refused his offer because he wanted me to serve as a bait to lure the criminal in his nets. And as much as I might want to protect society, I am merely human and as such, I value my life more.'' She brought the fork to her mouth, starting to chew thoroughly.

''So you preferred to save your own life rather than help the world's greatest detective to catch a criminal and save a dozens of other women?''

She put her head up, glowing hazel eyes meeting cutting amber. ''Yes.'' She replied without an ounce of hesitation. ''Contrary to you, Light Yagami, I am not fond of self-sacrifice. I never aspired to sacrifice my own safety for a greater good. Because in truth, I am selfish. I'm aware this is my greatest flaw. And I have absolutely _no problem_ with that.''

''You're disgusting.'' He huffed disdainfully.

''Perhaps.'' She shrugged nonchalantly as she lowered her gaze on her plate. ''You can think whatever you want, it's not like I care.''

He pursed his lips as he repressed himself from fighting back, but somehow he knew retaliating would be pointless in this particular case, with this particular woman.

 _This woman has no sense of morality whatsoever. She may be a lawyer, but she doesn't give a damn about people._ He thought as he stared at her severely.

''However, according to what you just told me,'' he changed the subject, going back to the initial topic of this meeting, ''I must say Deneuve's behavior doesn't surprise me at all. Sacrificing young, innocent women just to achieve his goals, no matter what collateral damage could fall upon them...this is _so_ like him, isn't it? The end justifies the means...''

''Indeed.'' Cabestan flashed him a carnivorous smile. ''It seems our dear detective isn't as pure as snow either. In fact, he's just as selfish as me.''

Light narrowed his eyes at her, which earned him a curious, yet amused gaze from the criminologist.

 _How dare she judging him? She's nothing! She's nothing, and he—_

He chased this thought out of his mind.

 _No. He is my enemy. Even though he earned my respect and admiration over the months I've come to know him, he's still a threat._

 _He needs to die._

 _There is no point in defending him now._

''...But you still hold a great _attachment_ to that ruthless, self-centered man, don't you?'' The smooth, honeyed voice called him back to reality.

He frowned at the curled-haired woman, wariness slowly reaching his very core.

''What do you mean?'' He asked sharply.

''Oh, nothing!'' Her lips curved into an innocent grin as she waved a hand at him. ''When you were talking about him, even when talking about his nasty habits of using people for his own interests, I could sense a great esteem and deference in your voice, am I right?''

This time, he couldn't refrain the tiny little smile that graced his thin lips as he shook his head, silky strands of hair swinging around his angelic face as he did so.

''You're right.'' He admitted neutrally whereas he wasn't meeting her gaze just yet. ''I don't quite agree with his methods, but I still respect him for his ideal and all the things he did in order to tend to that ideal.''

''He's determined, that's for sure!''

''Oh yes, he is.'' He nodded.

 _Alright, so I now know how she met L. I know he trusted her enough to involve her in one of the most important cases in his career._

 _But that doesn't tell me why L suggested me to go to that conference..._

 _I know he did it so I could meet her and talk to her, that's beyond evidence. But why?_

 _What advantage could he possibly get from that situation?_

Suddenly, an idea struck his mind. He looked up at the golden-haired woman, locking his eyes with deep twinkling orbs.

 _Of course! He suspects me of being Kira..._ _So, as the proud and narcissist mass murderer he thinks I am, he must think I'd want to talk about Kira with that lawyer, to share my opinion and somehow spread my doctrine._ _He expects me to speak about Kira with her and then, since I'm facing a very clever mind, the slightest mistake from my part would lead me straight to my downfall._

 _He must hope I'd give myself away by talking to her, and then she'd simply call him and give him all the missing informations he needs to get me arrested._

He suppressed the dark laugh that menaced to slip from his mouth.

 _You won't have me, L. Because you forgot one thing..._

He smirked devilishly as he crossed the french woman's puzzled look.

 _That woman may not be on my side..._

 _...But she clearly isn't on yours either._

* * *

''No. I won't help you, _Kira_.''

Light glared at the french lawyer, brown eyes gleaming with anger.

 _That bitch. I'm offering her to rule at my side. I thought I would never find a woman worthy of me, and now that I finally found one, she doesn't understand. I'm ready to drop Misa for her, and she doesn't give a damn._

He clenched his jaw as he reached to his wrist watch under the table, his gaze still fixed on the woman who was now leaning against her velvet seat, her body totally relaxed, the glass of wine hovering in front of her red full lips.

 _I have no choice. She knows who I am and she's not ready to help me. She's a liability._

 _She must die._

He pulled on his watch. One, two, three, four times...

 ** _Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._**

The golden-haired woman looked down, as if her eyes could see through the black glass table that dissimulated the man's arms. She quirked an eyebrow. Then, at his greatest surprise, instead of showing distress or worry, her features lightened, her scarlet lips curling into a satisfied grin.

 _What the...?_

He brought back his right arm above the table, taking a last bite of his white, pure fish, then digging the fork into his mouth, chewing slowly, never tearing his gaze off the young woman whose eyes were still locked with his.

 _I have to do it. I won't avert her gaze while I'm writing. Now that my plate is empty, she won't be surprised if I suddenly stop eating. At most, she could be offended that I don't lay my hands on the table, which is considered as impolite in European countries. But since I'm Japanese, I'm not supposed to know her customs, so she can't say anything about it._

He put the fork down, sliding his arm back under the table smoothly. He pricked his finger on the tiny needle. Then, he started writing on the small piece of paper.

 ** _ELENA_**

He carved the letters with his blood, using the roman alphabet, considering his target was french.

 ** _C_**

''You can kill me, if you want.'' He froze, his eyes widening slightly at the sound of the cool, composed voice, his hand grabbing the needle stopped in mid air.

''But I'm warning you, you're going to regret it.'' The corner of her lips lifted, forming a smug smile.

''Pardon?'' He uttered in disbelief.

''You see,'' she let out in a sigh as she bent forward, resting her elbows on the black tablecloth, ''when I went to the restroom earlier, I didn't go to 'powder my noise' as they say, because I don't care what I look like, nor if my make up is still flawless or not. No. When I was there, I called some friend of mine. His name is Baptiste Langlet, he works for the french police and also for the french secret services. And do you know what he's doing at the french secret services at the moment?''

As she got no response from the auburn-haired boy, her smile grew even wider and she continued.

''He's currently working on the Kira case. To be precise, he's the DGSE agent in Interpol.'' As she met Light's blinking eyes, she nodded. ''Yes, L still has close ties with the french secret services, so he asked for their support at the beginning of the case, even though he soon understood Kira was in fact in Japan. I don't know if your...'' She trailed off as she shot him a taunting glance. ''... _friend_ told you, but tonight, another Interpol conference will be held.''

As realization was slowly making its way through his mind, Light Yagami clenched his fists, nails digging into his flesh.

 _No. No, this can't be!_

''Yes, you got it.'' She sneered. ''My friend will attend that conference. And he told me, and I quote here, ''if I don't see your face nor hear your voice before the conference start, I will inform L that you have been killed by Kira this evening at the Tokyo Conrad Hotel.'' I suppose this hotel is highly secured...'' She said nonchalantly as she rose her head towards the ceiling.

He followed her gaze warily, he restrained a growl as he spotted a small flashing red light emanating from the up corner of the window.

 _That bitch. She had planned everything. That's why she wasn't worried in the slightest when she saw I had something on my mind... Because she has a guarantee. If I kill her, I'd designate myself as the culprit._

 _Damn you, Cabestan._

He gritted his teeth as he regained his wits, managing to display his most neutral and unfazed facial expression.

''I have absolutely no intention to kill you, Elena.'' He stated blandly. ''You're not a criminal, thus I have no reason to kill you.''

Cabestan arched a skeptical brow at him. ''Oh really?'' She inquired defiantly. ''Then I guess there's no problem.''

''Indeed.'' He muttered under his breath.

 _Damnit! I can't kill her, but if I let her go, she can easily contact that friend of hers, or even L... Then I'll be doomed. I'm stuck. What should I do?_

''Though you shouldn't worry yourself.'' He was cut off in his reflection by Elena's soothing voice.

He knitted his eyebrows in confusion. _What? Does she mean that—_

''Yes.'' She answered his thoughts as if she had just read his mind. ''I am not going to denounce you, Kira.''

''Why?'' He spat. ''Why am I supposed to trust you?''

She closed her eyes for a short while before they fluttered open once again. ''Because I don't want L to win. His justice is just as flawed as yours. Either way, it ends by death. Death is no justice.''

''But that—'' He started, before he was interrupted by a cold hand closing around his own. While he looked at the criminologist in awe, he felt lean fingers working around his wrist. When the soft hand withdrew, he could see the Death Note piece had disappeared. He sneaked a glance at the lawyer and gasped in shock.

The tiny piece of paper stood between two red-varnished fingers.

''Shush...'' She whispered as she raised her forefinger to her lips. ''I know you think the death penalty is the solution, I respect your opinion, and you should respect mine as well. Isn't it a principle Kira values? Freedom of speech, freedom of thought? Surely Kira doesn't mean to become the world's tyrant? He kills criminals to protect the people, not to enslave their minds, am I right?''

''Of course.'' He said, his voice devoid of any warmth. ''Now why are you defending me?''

''Because, just like the criminals you killed, as awful as they might be, you don't deserve to die. If I report you to L, he'll give you away to the Japanese justice, and you will be executed lire a mere animal. As quickly as that.'' She snapped her fingers. ''Well, I won't let Death win.''

''I see.'' He nodded in acknowledgment.

 _You have great ideals, Elena Cabestan._

 _Yet, no matter what you think, some people have to die..._

 _Such a shame **L** will have to die._ He thought as he held back a smirk.

''Light.'' He looked at her, lightly startled. It was the first time she called him by his first name since she had discovered his true identity. That tickled his curiosity.

''What?'' He asked hesitantly as his determined gaze crossed the lawyer's clouded hazel eyes.

''Don't kill him.''

''I beg your pardon?''

''Don't play dumb, Kira.'' She snapped as her lips distorted into a spiteful scowl. ''I said: don't kill _him_.''

''Listen, Elena,'' he began, his voice harsh, ''I don't know what you mean by that, but if—''

''Excuse me,'' he was cut off by a monotone voice. ''Is it finished?'' The waiter gestured towards the two empty plates.

''Yes.'' He replied neutrally as the server picked up the plates and disappeared. He then turned towards the criminologist.

''Don't kill L.'' She said again, her voice as sharp as knives.

He remained silent as he observed the woman's stony features, her hands folded on the napkin, her eyes darkening, piercing through him.

''It's not too late, Light. You haven't crossed the line yet. But if you kill _him_ , there will be no turning back. This will be the beginning of your end.''

''Why him? Why killing him would change anything?''

''Because he's not a criminal. He's just like you. A determined boy trying to catch criminals, arresting them, bringing them to Justice to protect the public order, to protect the weak. Killing him would automatically mean killing your ideal. Because _he is_ your ideal, isn't he? The only difference is that you don't have the same means as he does, but if you did, you'd achieve the same things as him.''

''That's where you're wrong, Cabestan.'' He shook his head. ''He doesn't understand Kira's goal. He doesn't understand the concept of self-sacrifice, the idea of sacrificing their own mind in order to bring peace to the world. He doesn't care about the victims, all he wants is catch a criminal to satisfy his own hunger for challenge.'' He added, his voice harsh and cold.

''That's all I am to him. A challenge.'' He muttered quietly, but not less fiercely.

''That's where you're wrong, Yagami.'' Elena said softly. ''If you indeed are a challenge to him, you must admit he is a challenge to you as well. But... _Mon petit doigt me dit*_ that there is so much more to it than that.'' She smiled at his dumbfounded expression.

''Yes, Light Yagami.'' She confirmed in a confident tone. ''You are his greatest challenge, but you are also his equal. You are his worst enemy, and yet his only friend. You don't understand him, and at the same time you are the only one who understands him just _perfectly_. You are his ultimate foe, but in truth...you are his _soul mate_.''

If he had any doubt before, now Light was pretty sure Elena Cabestan was indeed a madwoman. He could do nothing but stare at the lawyer in silence, before he regained the ability to speak.

''What did you just say?''

''That may be hard to believe, I know, however this is the truth.'' She retorted as she eyed the small Death Note paper she still held in her slim fingers. ''That's why you shouldn't kill him, for if you do, you will not only kill the only person worthy of you on this earth, but you will also kill yourself.''

This time, Light couldn't suppress the bitter chuckle that passed his lips. ''You're insane, Cabestan. You don't know what you're saying. I know L is no criminal, but he's a threat to Kira's Justice. He can't live. Apart from that, he is _nothing_ to me.''

''You can lie to yourself as long as you want, Light. But the more you wait, the more it'll hurt when you'll finally have to face the truth.'' She said matter-of-factly.

''This is nonsense!'' He scoffed. ''Why do you care anyway? I thought you didn't want L to win?''

''Of course I don't want L to win. But I never said I wanted _you_ to win either...''

''Then what do you want?''

''I thought I'd made myself clear already.'' She sighed as she raised a hand, waving to a waiter who rushed to her instantly.

''Yes, madam?''

''Your table looks pretty dull. It lacks something, don't you think?'' She responded emotionlessly, without sparing a glance at the stunned server. ''Bring us a candle. Quickly.''

''Uh...I— Yes, of course, Miss!'' The poor man bowed and left.

Light frowned deeply at that strange, sudden change of demeanor. ''Why did you—''

''I thought I'd made myself clear.'' Elena repeated flatly, as if she didn't hear him at all.

''What I want is quite simple.'' She spun the piece of paper with the tip of her fingers. ''All I want is for people to pay for their crimes, which means they should be locked up with nothing but their broken minds. Make them think and ponder about what they did for the rest of their lives. Every sane man would be forced to think over their mistakes. Make them revive their past for all the remaining of their life. Make them live with nothing but the memories of their wretched life. Make them _suffer_ like their victims did.''

She reported her attention on the mass murderer who sat in front of her.

''How can they possibly suffer if they die?'' She questioned dryly. ''I agree with you on that point. Some criminals don't deserve to live, at least not like any human being. But they don't deserve to die either. Because when they die, they're free. Death is mercy, not punishment.''

''I see.'' He crossed his legs as he met Elena's fiery gaze. ''You want me to suffer for the sins I've committed, even if I'm doing this in order to save the world. But what about L? Why do you want him to suffer?''

A toothy smile graced the woman's red lips. ''That's none of your concern. Just know that, as far as you're concerned, if you kill him, he'll never be able to see you beat him and reach the top of the world. You'll never taste your sweet victory over him if he's not here anymore. Moreover, when he won't be there, won't you be bored?''

''Of course not!'' He laughed joylessly. ''I still have so much to do to build a new world rid of Evil, I won't have time to get bored.''

''Yes but, without L, there will be nothing more than writing thousands and thousands of names in some...'' She looked down at the torn paper, arching an eyebrow, ''... _magical_ paper every day of every month of every year of your miserable life. Once your final goal achieved, with nobody to oppose you, you will inevitably end disillusioned.''

Kira took a few seconds to ponder the criminologist's words.

 _No, that's not true. Once I'd built my perfect world freed of any crime, I'll finally have time to enjoy my life in this new peaceful world. I'll have a job, perhaps a family, and..._

He frowned slightly as he lowered his gaze to his thighs, resting his chin on his palm thoughtfully.

 _No, I don't want a family. I don't want to get married. I'm not interested in family bounds. I'm not even interested in women anyway. Women are all stupid. Well, except from **that one**._

He looked up at the french lawyer who was staring back at him in curiosity. He looked down, shaking his head once again.

 _But still I don't want to be with her either. I want someone who challenges me every day, someone who matches my wits, someone who understands me, someone who values and fight for Justice just as much as I do..._

 _Well, to sum up, someone like L._

He froze in place as he suddenly realized what thought just crossed his mind. _Wait. What? What the hell am I thinking?!_

Slowly, he raised his head, allowing his gaze to meet Elena's shining eyes. He immediately noticed the pleased smirk that tugged at her lips.

''What?'' He almost growled in frustration.

''You're thinking about _him_.'' She declared simply.

''How would you know?''

''I am an expert in profiling, remember? I can see every detail everyone else fails to see.'' She paused as the server walked towards their table, laying a candle whose appearance shamed the red rose in the middle of the table. ''Thank you.'' The waiter lit the wick and left without another word.

''I know because I noticed something you didn't even notice yourself.'' She continued, imperturbable. ''Your eyes are twitching.''

He raised a questioning eyebrow as he waited for her to explain herself, which she did without further ado.

''Every time you think about him, you feel a deep frustration. That frustration always manifested as a twitch of your eyes. I saw it when you first talked to me at the university earlier, then a few minutes before when we talked about him, and now you eyes are twitching again... Which allows me to affirm that your dear _friend_ Ryuzaki is none other than L himself, though I already knew that.''

 _Fuck. That woman is too clever._

''So since you were thinking about him, I deduce you came to the same conclusion as me.''

''Really, and what would that be?'' He asked, raising his chin haughtily.

''You can't live without him.'' She answered as if it was the most evident thing in the world, and if you thought about it, it certainly was. ''Remember. Before you met him, you were bored to death. From the moment you became Kira, from the very moment L started chasing you...that's when you truly started to _live_.''

She leant forward, resting her elbows on the table, her chin above her folded hands as she stared at him intently.

''I don't believe in fate, nor do I believe in soul mates. What I said earlier was only philosophical talk, so do not take it as a romantical speech. But strangely I believe you understood me pretty well. I don't believe in curse either, but I can assure you, Light Yagami. If you kill him, you will soon join him on the other side.'' She whispered.

''Ah!'' He sneered. ''You're crazy, Cabestan. I can't let him live, and you know that. Because if I do, he'll be the one to bring me down. And I can't allow that, for _I_ 'll be the one to bring him down. I _hate_ him more than anyone and anything on this earth.''

The genuine, warm smile that slowly crept on the woman's features surprised the young man greatly.

''Love, respect, disdain, hatred... You must be very passionate to harbor such strong feelings towards one single person. Don't you remember, Light? Love and hate are only separated by a thin, invisible line. A line called obsession. You can cross that line _any_ time.''

 _That's...That's nonsense! I hate him! I hate him with all my heart! He can't live! He has to die! He has to..._

As the law student kept his mouth shut, the french woman continued in a sigh.

''No matter what you do, no matter what you think, you can't get him out of your mind, now can you?'' She purred, her voice as soft as silk. ''Whatever you want to call it, but I can tell you, this is called _obsession_. And you, Light Yagami, are _very_ obsessed.''

''No, I'm not.'' Were the only words he could utter.

''Your lies are even more transparent than your truths, Light.'' She chuckled bitterly.

''Believe what you wish, I don't care.''

''Hm...''

 _This woman is a mystery. I need to understand her intentions in order to better manipulate her. This way, I'll get myself out of this mess._

''Alright. Since you didn't seem to understand me the first time, I'll reiterate my question.'' Light declared vehemently, folding his arms across his toned chest. ''What are you looking for? What advantage can you possibly get from this? Your wishes are incoherent. You're defending me, and yet you want to spare L's life. You know very well that I cannot get away with this if he's alive. That doesn't make any sense.''

''On the contrary, I believe this makes perfect sense if you think about it.'' Elena Cabestan retorted, still playing with the tiny Death Note paper. ''That's obvious, don't you think? You and L, you are the greatest paradox that ever existed, a paradox that I myself call the " _With or Without You_ " paradox, in reference to the famous pop-rock song.''

This time, her thoughtful expression was met by nothing but unconvinced empty eyes, urging her to continue exposing her theory.

''Love and hate. Passion and obsession. Light and dark. You and him. Both opposite and complementary. While love pushes you to spare his life, on the other hand, hate encourages you to kill him. Passion brings you towards him, whereas obsession pulls you away from him. Light tells you to give in to him, and dark tells you to beat him. In the end, it's whether you or him. But that is where the paradox appears. In the bottom of your heart, you would like the possibility of a ''you and me'', still there is only place for a ''you _or_ me.'' Because he can't live without you and you can't live without him, yet one of you will have to die so the other can live. That's what makes this relationship so complicated and so intense at the same time. It's fascinating, really.''

Light Yagami stared at the lawyer in utter dismay, not knowing what to do nor what to say, for he never heard such insulting— yet true— words in his life.

 _How dare you? You know nothing about me. You know nothing about him. How dare you?_

 _I hate you, Elena Cabestan._

''How tragic.'' The criminologist sighed deeply as she eyed the orange gold flame that escaped the red candle.

''So now,'' she began almost cheerfully as she raised the hand that still grasped the tattered piece of paper, ''what about we put an end to this upsetting paradox, hm?''

''Even if you were right— which you're not— how are would we be supposed to do that?'' He inquired, skeptical.

''Simple. If he were not to catch you, you would have no reason to kill him, am I right?''

He furrowed his eyebrows as he nodded reluctantly.

 _What is her point?_

''Then all you have to do is make sure he will never catch you. For that, there's only one way.'' She said solemnly as dark hazel eyes locked with amber.

She lowered her hand to the candle and, with two slim fingers, she let the small piece of paper get licked by a hungry, devouring flame.

''No proof, no arrest.'' She went on as the Death Note paper was gradually huddling on itself, slowly melting to ashes in the red candle.

Light watched the paper, in which were carved Kyosuke Higuchi's name on one side, and the beginning of Elena Cabestan's on the other, vanishing into nothingness before his bewildered eyes.

 _What... She just destroyed the only proof that I killed the third Kira. The only proof that could destroy everything if L laid a hand on it. Yet, she burnt it without a second thought. Why did she do that?_

''Why?'' He asked quietly, his gaze still fixed on the burnt remains that now covered the wick which has extinguished, leaving a thin trail of grey smoke in the air.

''I'm helping you break the vicious circle, of course. Destroy all the proofs, make it impossible for him to get to you. He will be doomed to stay by your side, looking over you until you make a mistake, watching your every move without ever being able to catch you, and that until the end. You wouldn't have to kill him, since he couldn't prove your guilt. He would _never_ leave you. You would like that, Yagami, wouldn't you?'' She snickered, a malevolent smile crossing her red lips.

His whole body and soul were fuming with fury.

 _How dare she? How dare she telling me that? To **me**? She has no idea who she's talking to._

However he soon regained his regal, arrogant composure as he spoke. ''I'll ask one last time, Cabestan.'' He announced sharply. ''What do you want— No. What do you _really_ want?''

''Oh, well!'' The golden-haired woman laughed wholeheartedly. ''I thought you'd already got it, Light. But it seems I underestimated you.''

He glared at her, putting all his wrath and disdain in this one single look.

''I want you two to live obviously...'' She began as she scrubbed her hands together.

Elena Cabestan then raised her head so that mischievous glinting eyes met Light's cold brown orbs. A threatening grin crept on her red scarlet lips.

''So that you can tear yourselves to shreds. I want you both to suffer so much you'd rather die than live another day. I want you two to slowly drown so deep into despair and misery that you'll finally give up on life and die a long, painful death that will leave both of you with nothing but each other's arms.''

His eyes widened gradually, not quite believing his ears, as the french lawyer talked in a monotone.

''But before that fateful day that will be marked by your pitiful death, I want you both to pay for what you did. To me, to society, to everyone on this earth. Criminals are not the filth of this world, _you_ are. You _both_ are. Let the criminals die if you wish, but I will never let _you_ die. Death would be too kind for you. And who, better than L, can make you suffer? Who, better than you, can make him regret being alive?''

 _What is this... She doesn't want to help me at all. She doesn't want to help L either. She is on her own side._

 _She wants me to spare L and him to spare me, just so we can stay alive...just so we can suffer. Why? Supposing L and I stayed side by side, why_ _would we suffer only if we stayed alive?_

The answer came right away, as if the golden-haired woman had heard him.

''Because, in your case,'' she continued, her voice suddenly low and weak, ''as long as you're alive, it will always be...''

He raised an inquisitive eyebrow in response.

'' _With or Without You_.'' She whispered.

* * *

 _*Mon petit dight m'a dit = my little finger tells me._

 **Author's Note:**

Thank you all for reading, and thanks for your patience as well!

You thought Elena wanted to help Light and L get along? Well sorry, that's not really the case! xD If you didn't get it, I'll give a little explanation: she hates them both so much that she wants them to live, not because she has pity on them, but because she thinks that death would free them of their suffering. For her, L and Light being both alive, unable to bring the other down but unable to be together either, is the worst torture of all.

 **To Caly:** Merci encore pour ton fidèle soutien et surtout pour ta patience ! Ça me fait toujours autant plaisir de connaître ton avis sur chacun des chapitres, continue comme ça ! Et je suis heureuse que tu aies aimé le précédent chapitre, j'espère que tu aimeras celui-ci également !

 **The flashbacks should end in chapter 19 or 20.**

 **Tell me what you think about that chapter! What's your opinion about the flashbacks, do you like them? I'd like to have your feedbacks.  
** **Please leave a review, I want to know your opinion!**

 **The next chapter should be up in the next two weeks hopefully, please be patient again.**

Until then,

Bye bye humans!

 _ **C.**_


	19. Know

**To CalypsoDansLaLune:** Merci encore pour tous ces compliments ! Je suis soulagée de savoir que je suis parvenue à respecter les personnages parce que les OOC sont un peu ma hantise ! Et merci pour ta patience. Sache que les évènements vont bientôt s'accélérer après les flashbacks, mais effectivement tu l'as bien compris, ces flashbacks sont importants pour comprendre l'histoire originale. Si mes calculs sont bons, les flashbacks s'arrêteront dans le chapitre prochain. Merci encore pour ton soutien, en espérant que tu apprécieras ce chapitre !

 **Note:** This chapter contains some **french dialogues** , which will be directly **translated through the thoughts of the characters**.

* * *

 _ **New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 19: Know**

* * *

 **3rd of October of 2008, 11pm: Kira Task Force Headquarters.**

A door slammed shut loudly, but he stayed still on his black wheel chair, his legs bent to his chest, chewing on his nails quietly. He didn't flinch when he heard light footsteps slowly approaching him, for he knew exactly whose it was.

''You were right,'' came Light Yagami's clear, even voice, ''that woman really is fascinating.''

''Is she?'' He asked rhetorically, without bothering to turn around to look at his interlocutor.

''Yes.'' A few more footsteps and the young student appeared at his right side, pulling a chair to him and sitting on it swiftly. ''Though I don't quite understand why you advised me to attend that conference. It surely was interesting for me, considering my studies, but you can't have me believe this was the only reason.''

''Alright.'' The raven-haired man sank a spoon full of strawberry cheesecake into his mouth. ''Then tell me, Light. Why do you think I advised you to attend that conference?'' He asked dully, his gaze still focused on the blinding white computer screen in front of him.

''Well, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were trying to convince Kira— since you seem absolutely certain that _I_ _am_ Kira— to give up on his ideals of punishing crime by death. But I know you, Ruyzaki.'' For the first time that day, amber eyes locked with dark, endless orbs. L simply stared at his suspect in tensed, expectant silence, whereas his enemy was looking back at him just as intently. For a short instant, they both felt as if that was just what they were meant to do. To sit together, side by side, eyes melting into the other's, attention centered on nothing but the other, forgetting about everything that surrounded them. How tempted it was to just stay still, right here, right then. Only them. Together. Until the end.

 _But that's impossible._ A small, bitter voice echoed in his head gloomily, painfully.

But a few seconds were enough for the two geniuses to get back to their senses. They looked away in perfect synchronization, Light turning his head towards the black screen before him, L lowering his gaze to his half-empty plate.

''You'd never try to make Kira change his mind,'' he kept on, pretending that flickering, palpable connection never occurred, ''because you know he's just as stubborn as you are. And we both know neither you or him will ever admit he's wrong. Trying to impose your point of view on Kira would be pointless.''

''Indeed.''

''So I've come to the conclusion that you were merely trying to trigger the last shred of humanity you think Kira still possesses, and since you're sure _I_ am in fact Kira, you told _me_ to attend that conference to trigger the last shred of humanity you think _I_ possess. You thought hearing Elena Cabestan's thesis about the roots of crime— which, according to her, don't depend on the inner evil of human beings, but rather on the passions and obsessions that drive them— would lead me to think over my modus operandi by instilling doubt in my mind. And perhaps having me doubt about my very motives would make me doubt about my plans, and thus allow you to stay alive... Is that the true reason that explains why you advised me to hear that conference?'' He inquired, tilting his head to the side to glance at the world's greatest detective who didn't spare him a look.

''That is a possibility.'' L replied blandly as he grabbed the strawberry between his thumb and forefinger, raising the fruit before his abyssal eyes before throwing it into his mouth. ''Nonetheless, do you really see me as such a naive man as to believe one mere conference could manage to jeopardize Kira's plans and by doing so, save my life?''

Light couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows slightly in confusion. _Of course you're not that naive, but still..._

''No, I don't.'' He responded truthfully. ''But if you really believe that I am Kira and that your death is close, then it would be only human to try and do everything in your power to prevent it. So what better way to send me to one of your pawns to make me change my mind?''

''As you may have noticed,'' the older man remarked in a deadpan tone as he chewed on his last bite of cake, ''Elena Cabestan is anything _but_ my pawn. Unfortunately, she answers to no one but herself. Furthermore, as I am sure you had testified by yourself, that oh so famous french lawyer is not particularly fond of me.''

''Yes, I had noticed.'' He scoffed, before he reported his focus on his companion and enemy's lean figure sitting next to him. ''Though I'm not so sure as to the reason for that...''

''Miss Cabestan's resentment towards me is perfectly justified, believe me.'' L cut him off sharply. ''However, that matter is completely irrelevant to our current predicament.''

''Right,'' the auburn-haired teenager sighed as he understood today was not the day where he would learn more about L and Cabestan's common past, ''so why? Why did you send me to a woman who openly hates you and everything you represent to convince me— since you see me as nothing but Kira— that I'm wrong? After all, if I were Kira—which I'm not— how speaking with a woman, who totally disagrees with you and your work, would help you make me change my mind and doubt my purpose? She has her own theories and explanations about crime, but none matches with your ideas nor Kira's. At best, she could make _both_ Kira and L doubt their ideas, but certainly not help them find a common ground.''

''What if I didn't want to make Kira doubt in order to save my own life for that matter?''

''Well, then I'd tell you I don't get your point. If you don't do this as a desperate move to try and save your own life, then why would you do this in the first place? Why would you try to change Kira's mind if not to impose your own ideal and declare your victory over him?''

''You are aware I showed my face for the first time in forever because of this very peculiar case. I took risks I never even thought of taking before. When I said I was ready to give my life in order to solve this case, I was sincere.'' The ebony-haired male stated, his voice completely emotionless as he looked up at his prime suspect, his fists clenching at his bent knees. ''Even though I do not wish to die, if my death can free the world from Kira's grip, then I am ready to die.''

The law student was glaring at the older man, eyes widening in disbelief. ''You...You—'' He recomposed himself, shaking his head lightly. ''I don't believe you. You would never give up. You would never accept death. You would never let Kira win. So stop pretending.'' He folded his arms over his chest as he eyed the detective skeptically. ''I know you, Ryuzaki. You don't think your death would free the world from Kira, and I don't either. Don't try lying to me, you know it's useless.'' His voice became more raspy as he spoke.

He stood suddenly and leant his upper body forward, grabbing L's shoulders without further warning.

''You're _not_ going to give up, L.'' He said angrily, almost desperately as he shook his so-called friend's shoulders frantically.

The dark-haired man let himself be shaken mercilessly as he kept his eyes firmly locked with Light's. When the younger of the two finally released his grasp, the detective spoke, his voice as cold, as stoic as ever.

''I am not giving up, Light. I am simply using all means at my disposal to destroy Kira.''

''How your death could possibly destroy Kira?''

''You keep speaking as if Kira were an unidentified person. But we both know that is not true.''

''I don't quite understand where you're going with that, Ryuzaki.'' The boy seemed to realize his sudden proximity to his greatest nemesis and pulled back, withdrawing his hands from the other's shoulders in one graceful gesture.

''Where I am going is no matter. What matters is that I am currently ninety-seven percent sure that you are indeed Kira. What matters is that in the end, you will not win. Whether it is me or someone else who puts an end to your reign does not matter. The only thing that matters to me is to bring you down, _Kira_. How will I manage that, I do not know, but what I know for sure is that I _will_ bring you down eventually.''

''Admitting you're right and I'm Kira— which I'm _not_ , even though I admit there are some undeniable similarities between me and Kira,'' Light began in a perfect dogmatic tone, ''how your death is supposed to bring me down?''

At the student's greatest amazement, a light, genuine chuckle, though tainted with a hint of sardonic irony, escaped L's pale lips. ''You are so proud, so full of yourself that you completely missed the true sense of Elena Cabestan's words, didn't you? What a shame.''

Light opened his mouth to talk, but when no words came to his mind, he shut it instantly. Meanwhile, L raised a hand to take hold of the young man's red tie, pulling on the fabric so fiercely it almost caused the student to tumble forward, but he managed to catch his balance and stay still on his feet as he was drawn towards the cool, pallid figure of the now threatening, frightening detective.

''You wanted to know why I sent you to meet Elena Cabestan. Well, let me enlighten you then, _Light Yagami_.'' He whispered as his face hovered only inches away from Light's bewildered features. His eyes dropped to the teenager's lips, then back to his chestnut orbs.

''Through Cabestan's words, I wanted to deliver a message to you.'' The corner of L's lips twisted upwards ever so slightly as he paused.

''When I will die by your hands...'' His breath tickled Light's lips as he murmured.

''I shall bring you down with me, _Kira_.''

* * *

 **4th of October of 2008: Kira Task Force Headquarters.**

 _I am going to die. I know it._

 _I have prepared myself to that mere idea for several months now. To be honest, I am quite surprised you didn't give me the coup de grâce sooner. After all, we have both known the outcome of the ordeal for quite some time already._

 _So why now, I wonder._

 _I wonder, now that I can feel my heart clench in my chest._

 _I wonder, now that my eyelids cannot seem to find the strength to remain open._

 _I wonder, now that I am lying in your arms._

 _I wonder, now that I know you will be the last thing I will see before my end._

 _I wonder._

 _Why did you wait for so long?_

 _Did you like to see the determination that used to gleam in my eyes? Did you like to see that tenacity fade, day by day? Did you like to watch as indifference slowly took its rightful place in my mind? Did you like to watch, as closely as you could, as indifference quickly let place to surrender, which thus became acceptance?_

 _I wonder._

 _Did you like to see me struggling against my will to survive? Did you like to watch me as you slowly drained all my living force out of that empty body of mine?_

 _I wonder, as a text, along with a report, is being sent to the director of Wammy's Orphanage where my successors will soon be aware of my downfall._

 _I wonder, as a mail is being sent to one of my greatest enemies— perhaps the second most dangerous after you, Kira— who never cared enough to make me pay for what I did to her in one of my selfish and ambitious whims._

 _Do you really think this is the end?_

 _I wonder, as I can feel your arms around me, your hands tightening on my shirt, your hair caressing my face._

 _Do you really think I gave up fighting you? Can't you see I simply gave up on **living**?_

 _I wonder, as I can hear your howling cry, piercing my eardrums in a perfect show of misery and despair._

 _Can't you see I myself decided to die, so you could live?_

 _I wonder, as all the honest, hardworking policemen that were never more than pawns between our hands, shout and scream in terror._

 _Don't you understand you didn't win at all?_

 _I wonder, as I imagine your cold, mesmerizing amber eyes laying on my dead body._

 _I wonder, as I imagine your beautiful lips distorting into that famous smirk of pure satisfaction._

 _Don't you understand we have both lost the game?_

 _I wonder, as I imagine the decomposed features of the_ _passionate, hot-tempered blonde child while he will snap at everything and everyone upon hearing the fateful words._

 _I wonder, as I imagine the blank and dreary figure of the transparent, invisible white-haired child while he will look down and keep quiet, as always._

 _Don't you understand that from now on, you shall be the only one to suffer?_

 _I wonder, as I imagine the red lips curving slyly into the most smug grin._

 _I wonder, as I imagine the smooth, french-accented voice utter the words, ''You fools. I've won.''_

 _Don't you understand that Elena Cabestan was right all along?_

 _Don't you understand that you will soon join me in death?_

 _Yes. I wonder._

 _How could you be so blind as to believe killing me would save you?_

 _Yes. I wonder, Kira._

 _Can't you see you are just as doomed as I am?_

 _Can't you see I am not letting you get away with this?_

 _Can't you see I am not letting my successors get a hand on you?_

 _I wonder, Light Yagami._

 _Do you know you committed the most beautiful crime of passion the world has ever known?_

 _Do you know you are nothing without me?_

 _Do you know you belong with me?_

 _I wonder, Light._

 _Do you **know**?_

* * *

''Ryuzaki...'' A hoarse, broken whisper lost itself in entwined, disheveled black locks, as reality finally caught up with pretense.

Dark chestnut eyes widened as realization suddenly hit his mind full force, bringing only chaos and destruction in its wake. A soft, calm voice then echoed in his head, digging the knife even deeper into the already opened and bloody wound.

 _You will not only kill the only person worthy of you on this earth, but you will also kill yourself._

 _It is whether you or him._

 _The greatest paradox._

 _With or Without you._

Then, suddenly, everything seemed to settle in his brain. Everything seemed to make sense. But it was too late, for a criminal and a detective cannot coexist, because love cannot win over hate, just like hate cannot win over love, and...

 _I can't live, with or without you._

As all the task force members were too occupied fearing for their own lives in the middle of the grand, now empty hall filled with the deafening rings of the alert, propagating a red, blinding light in all the corners of the room, and the hopeless fits of anger and panic of his fellows, Light Yagami indulged in his last display of truth and weakness.

He lowered his head to the dead corpse of his rival, friend, and companion, and buried his face in the crook of L's neck, letting the only tear drop and fall down on the pale skin, carrying a secret that shall remain between a dead investigator and a living dead murderer.

 _Yes, L._

 _I know I won't survive this. I won't survive you._

 _I know it will always be ''with or without you'', until the day I die._

 _I know I will soon join you in death. Wait for me._

 _I know I belong with you._ _I belong to you._

 _I **know**._

 _You loved me._

 _But I love you._

* * *

 **8th of October of 2008, 10pm: Conrad Hotel, Tokyo.**

He quietly, cautiously approached the table which was hidden in a dark corner of the classy, cosy restaurant hall, until he was able to overhear a well-known feminine firm voice.

'' _Non, je ne suis pas libre ce soir._ '' A curled-haired woman sighed deeply as she leant back against her seat. '' _Non, je n'ai rencontré personne. Écoute, Baptiste, je ne sais pas ce que tu veux, mais... Ah!_ '' She rolled her eyes as she sipped in her already half-empty wine glass. '' _Bien essayé. Et pour te répondre, c'est non. Je ne coucherai pas avec toi pour ton bon plaisir... Pourquoi? Eh bien, parce que je dois penser au mien d'abord, réfléchis un peu!_ '' She scoffed as she put her glass down, eyeing the silhouette that stood a few metres away from her, waiting for her to end her conversation.

Meanwhile, Light, who had a few knowledge of the french language, was pondering the words he had just heard, his head translating automatically. '' _No, I'm not free tonight... No, I didn't meet anyone... Listen, Baptiste, I don't know what you want, but... Ah! Nice try. And to answer your question, it's 'no'. I'm not going to sleep with you for your pleasure... Why? Well, because I must think about mine first, think a little!_ '' He couldn't help but grin as he let himself get drawn by the lawyer's sarcasm.

 _That truly is one hell of a woman._

 _''Ah tiens, voilà mon compagnon!''_ She raised a hand to invite the teenager to join her. _''Je vais devoir te laisser, Baptiste. Allez, cherche-toi une femme aussi bien que moi et rappelle-moi après! Quoi?''_ She laughed genuinely. _''Mais je sais bien qu'il n'y en a pas, c'était l'idée, idiot! Comme tu ne trouveras pas mieux que moi, tu ne me rappelleras pas. Utilise ton cerveau— Enfin...si tu en as un, bien sûr. Bon, je te laisse. Oui, c'est ça. À plus tard.''_ She put her phone away from her ear and then back in her bag.

Light shook his head in disbelief as he walked the last footsteps that still separated him from the chair and settled in front of the criminologist, not so sure if he ought to believe his ears. _''Ah, here's my companion! I've got to leave you, Baptiste. Come on, go search for a woman as good as me and call me back! What? Of course there is no such woman as me, that was the idea, idiot! Since you won't find another woman like me, you won't call back. Use your brain— Well...if you have one, that is. Okay, I'm going to hung up. Yes, that's it. See you.''_

''Good evening, Light.'' She greeted him with a rather pleased smile, to which he responded with a fake smile of his own.

''Good evening, Elena.''

''So,'' she began, her voice strangely posed and serious, ''why did you want to see me, I mean except from the irrepressible desire to see my beautiful body?''

His eyes barely twitched at the joke as he arched an eyebrow at her. ''I just came to tell you something.''

''Fine. So?''

''I understood.''

The golden-haired woman knitted her eyebrows as she observed the young man before her. Perfect looks, perfect features, perfect outfit, and yet...all that was left behind that perfect appearance was a torn, crushed, shattered heart. She nodded solemnly as she figured what this was all about.

''Very well. So _he_ is dead.'' She stated matter-of-factly.

Light flinched, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. ''How do you know?''

She only chuckled darkly.

''Because it was the only way for you to understand. You only realize what you had or could have had when you let it go. For you to realize this, L had to die.''

The law student averted her glinting hazel eyes. ''I had no choice. He had to die.''

''Oh, of course!'' Her lips stretched into a knowing, cruel smirk. ''It was you or him, wasn't it? So you made your choice. Who am I to blame you?''

Light stayed silent as his gaze lingered on the dark glass table absently.

''But don't worry, _Kira_.'' Elena added in a confident tone as she rose from her seat, towering him. ''I am sure he knew the most beautiful end he could ever have dreamt of.''

''What?'' He inquired, perhaps a bit too hastily.

''Why,'' she laughed mirthlessly as she headed past the table and stopped right next to him, before she spoke again, ''he died in your arms, didn't he?''

She winked at him cheekily as her scarlet lips curled up into a radiant, yet ruthless smile.

''Isn't that the best fate a _lover_ could ever hope for?''

Light Yagami was left dumbfounded and speechless as he watched the penal law professor exit the restaurant, leaving him with nothing but that unbearable emptiness which was now inhabiting his whole being and which he knew would follow him until the very end.

* * *

 **11th of November of 2009, 9pm: Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Tokyo.**

Kiyomi Takada was waiting in front of the hotel room door, where she and her worshiped god, ally and lover used to meet several times a week. This time however, even though she couldn't quite put her finger on it, something was off, she could feel it. But after all, what could possibly happen to her in such a luxurious, secured building?

With that reassuring thought in mind, she knocked three times and entered at the sound of the welcoming, agreeable voice that said, ''it's open.''

Strangely, the whole hotel suite was plunged into a thick, eerie darkness, and all she could decipher was a tall, slim figure standing near the window that spread a breathtaking, gleaming landscape of all the elegant skyscrapers and twinkling, multicolored lights of the Japanese capital. The figure was very similar to that of Light Yagami, with its long thin legs and its narrow waist. But something was wrong. That silhouette wore a tight black pants suit and a matched blazer, dark high heels and long, curled hair that circled its face, which was gleaming in the moonlight.

Takada was at first startled, but then she found herself somehow relaxed by that mysterious, feminine presence.

''Who—Who are you?'' She sputtered as she took an hesitant step forward, her fingers hovering above the power switch.

She could see red scarlet lips shining in the dark, as its corners lifted upwards, forming an odd, destabilizing smile.

''Good evening, Kiyomi Takada. I heard you are Kira's spokesperson.'' The woman said quietly, deadly slowly.

As the brown-haired woman cringed slightly, the woman with hair as bright as gold held a soothing hand towards her.

''Worry not, Kiyomi. I am not here to harm you. In fact, I am myself what you could call...a _friend_ of Kira.'' She then turned her body fully to face the scared woman. ''See? I have no weapons. And as proof of my good intentions, I'll even give you my true name, which will offer you the opportunity to kill me anytime you want.''

As irritation was gradually replacing fear, Takada crossed her arms above her breast as she spoke sharply. ''Very well. I'm listening.''

''Thank you.'' The unknown woman said softly, as if in relief. Suddenly, light illuminated the whole place, allowing the brunette to finally see who she was facing. And what a surprise it was when she was finally able to contemplate the entire shap of her unusual interlocutor.

Hazel eyes locked with her dark ones as she lost herself in the sight of the light-brown curls that fell on the lean shoulders, the red full lips frozen in an eternal bittersweet smile. Without a second thought, she stepped towards the pretty vision that stood before her and laid a hand on the silky hair, running her fingers through the golden locks, as if petting a cat.

''Light...'' She murmured as her eyes raised to the red blood lips that appeared oh so, so appealing...

Cool, but yet gentle hands cupped her face, forcing her to look up into those hypnotizing, sparkling brown eyes that resembled those of her beloved God.

''No, Kiyomi,'' the low voice said delicately, fondly, ''I am not him. Though I know him pretty well, and he spoke so much of you...''

''Did he?''

''Yes, of course.''

''You look so much like him. You are his sister, aren't you? He told me about her, I believe her name is Sayu. You are Sayu, aren't you?''

A warm, airy sound filled her ears with relish, causing a chill to run down her spine, as the golden-haired woman chuckled ever so lightly.

''No, I am not Sayu.''

''Then who are you?'' She frowned, removing her hands from the woman's hair, only to be stopped by those pale fingers who grabbed her hands carefully, keeping them in place.

''My name is Elena Cabestan.''

''He never told me about you,'' she frowned even more deeply as doubt slowly crept into her mind. ''What do you want? What are you doing here? And where is he?''

''Shush...'' The woman raised the brunette's hand to her lips as she deposed a kiss on her knuckles. ''All your questions know the same answer, and I am going to give it to you. Just relax, Kiyomi. How about we sit and talk about this more calmly?'' She extended a hand towards the sofa and armchair.

''No!'' Takada reached up, closing her hands around the other woman's, even though she couldn't quite comprehend her own reaction. ''Don't move. Tell me now, right here.''

''Alright.'' Elena Cabestan laughed wholeheartedly as she let herself be imprisoned by Kiyomi's firms hands. ''You have all powers here. You have my name, my face, and look,'' she gestured to her captured hands with a swift move of her chin, ''you even have my body. It seems I am completely powerless in your arms, now am I?'' She added in an honeyed tone as her lips distorted into a provocative smile. Kiyomi couldn't help the shudder that passed through her entire body as she met Elena's intense eyes.

''Just...speak.'' She ordered, not as dryly as she wished.

''Alright.'' The curled-haired woman sighed as she put her head down, brushing Takada's dark hair with golden locks. ''You have the right not to believe me, and I won't blame you for it. If you think I'm nothing but an impostor who came here to spread chaos in your relationship with Kira, then all you'll have to do is write my name down on your notebook and I'll die. But at least, please listen to me.'' She raised her head, allowing her gaze to encounter Takada's confused eyes.

''You think Light Yagami loves you and wants to rule this new world freed of crime at your side, but it's wrong. The truth is, when he first met me, he did the exact same offer to me. And before that, he did the same proposition to Misa Amane, who is now his fiancée. He is only using us because he needs allies in order to reach his goal, that is all. Please, Kiyomi.'' The brunette arched an eyebrow as she spotted a wet pearl shining in the corner of the woman's eye.

''He is playing with your feelings, you have to understand that. Even if you don't want to face the truth, because it hurts and I get that, you have to, for your own sake. You deserve _so much_ more than that...'' She added almost miserably as she leant her forehead against Takada's.

But then, it was Cabestan's turn to be utterly astonished as she heard a dark, joyless chuckle. She looked up at the brunette in bewilderment.

''If you think I am not aware of that, then you truly underestimated me, Elena Cabestan.'' Kiyomi spat as she kept averting her gaze, but tightened her grip on the lawyer's hands nonetheless.

''You mean you know he's using you and still, you're letting him?'' Elena questioned, her eyebrows knitting furiously.

''Of course.'' Takada huffed in response. ''I love him and I believe in his ideal. I'm ready to help him build a new world, even if that means letting him use me for that. I know I can never have his love, but at least I shall earn his trust and perhaps even his consideration.''

''But...you could have so much more if you just stopped pretending to be his lover. You could meet someone who _really_ loves you, while still helping Kira, but as an ally and nothing more.''

The brunette sighed, her breath teasing the other woman's cheek. ''You don't understand. I'll take anything he is willing to give me, even if it's only an illusion.''

''But he can never give you what you want,'' Elena objected fiercely as she freed her left hand from Takada's grasp and used it to lift the brunette's chin upwards. ''You will never know passion.''

''N-No, that's not true!'' Kiyomi muttered, her cheeks slightly flustered as she eventually became aware of the proximity between her and that stranger. She tried to release herself from Cabestan's hand, and escape her predatory look. ''Even if I know there is no love between us, there is still passion. I can feel it, I can—''

A cold finger landed on her mouth, shutting her at once, as the golden-haired woman clicked her tongue disapprovingly. ''Of course not. If he's only pretending, then there is no passion behind his acts. To feel passion, your lover must _mean_ all of his actions...'' She trailed off as she removed her finger from the other woman's lips. She leant in, her red lips only a few inches from the journalist's. Takada's breath was suddenly becoming heavy and erratic. She didn't know what to think, nor where to lay her eyes anymore.

 _Just give in. You know you want to. You know she is right. Light will never give you the love and passion you seek. But this woman... Maybe..._

''When there is no more pretending, you can taste the very essence of passion. But as long as you stay with him, you will never be able to do so.'' Elena purred, her lips brushing the brunette's, as light as a feather, but Kyomi couldn't ignore the shaking that suddenly seized her lower belly.

''Come on, Kiyomi. If you want to know how it feels like, just kiss me.'' She whispered playfully against her trembling lips. ''You might not love me, and I might not love you, but I have passion, and that passion I can give you. If you wish, you can just pretend I am him, I don't care. After all, am I not his perfect doppelgänger?''

''I...I...'' She couldn't manage to speak for she felt suddenly hot, as if prey of a sudden fever she could not control. Oddly enough, her whole body seemed to ache for that touch she was denied. Cool hands applied on both her cheeks, easing her for now, and she let out a sigh of contentment, closing her eyes.

''Let me show you passion, Kiyomi...'' Elena closed the gap between their mouths, though she didn't properly kissed the other woman, settling for only an almost imperceptible caress of her upper lip on the brunette's.

But this was too much for the NHN journalist who cut the game short. Without thinking, she pressed her lips against the older woman's harshly, with all the want and lust she didn't know she possessed. She realized afterwards that her arms had slipped around Elena's neck and that she had pushed the taunting woman to the bed, causing both of them to tumble onto the soft sheets and covers.

Only then she understood.

The lips she was devouring hungrily were nothing like those of her supposed god. Those were sleek and warm, salty and sweet at the same time, while Light's were cold and hard as marble, but most of all...completely bland.

Emboldened in those newfound sensations, Kiyomi Takada finally gave in to Elena Cabestan, so that, when the french woman's mouth ventured on her neck whereas her skilled fingers worked at unbuttoning her shirt, she didn't find the strength to stop her, but only to whimper and moan in pleasure, until the two women became nothing more than a tangled mess of naked flesh and limbs merged together.

 _So that is what passion tastes like..._

 _Now, I **know**._

And she soon reached the conclusion that she actually liked it more than she should.

* * *

 _ **Dring. Dring. Dring.**_

She opened a sleepy eye reluctantly, groaning, and reached out to her bedside table, grabbing her phone hurriedly.

''Hm... Moshimoshi?''

''Kiyomi? Did I wake you?''

''Oh, Light.'' She propped herself up, her back turned towards the other side of the bed. ''Yes, but it's alright. Why do you call?''

''Well, I'm sorry for not coming yesterday. I know I should have noticed you before, but I had a last minute problem and I simply couldn't make it to the hotel. It's not in my character to make a woman wait, so I hope you won't hold it against me. Perhaps, if you're available and still willing to see me, we could report our meeting tonight?''

''Of course, Light.'' She replied, her voice still groggy. ''I guessed you had an emergency and couldn't meet me yesterday, it's okay. Though I'd prefer if we meet, uh...'' She sneaked a glance above her shoulder. ''Next week? If that's okay for you?''

''Next week?'' She could hear the frown in his voice. ''Fine, it's okay with me.'' He answered smoothly. ''Did you have a good evening, despite my unforeseen absence?'' He inquired pleasantly.

''Oh, well...'' She turned towards the other side of the bed and stretched a hand to run her fingers through golden locks. The lean body shifted in its sleep so that the french woman was now facing her, golden brown curls hiding her peaceful features.

''Don't worry about that.'' She smiled at the sight of the young, fair woman whom she spent the night with, without an hint of remorse whatsoever.

As she stroke Elena's cheek ever so slightly, not willing to wake the sleeping beauty, Kiyomi Takada whispered in the phone.

''I had a _wonderful_ evening.''

* * *

 **17th of December, 2009, 11am: Conrad Hotel, room 313.**

One year ago, Elena Cabestan decided that she would stay in Tokyo for a while. Hopefully, her skills were very much appreciated by the Dean of To-Oh University of Law during the period she lead her conference in here, and she had been offered a very favorable covenant which allowed her to lead the Criminology and Criminal Sciences course in this faculty for one semester, with the possibility of renewal. Possibility she had implemented two times already.

Why did she want to stay in Tokyo? One single reason explained that peculiar decision.

 _Someone has to look after Light Yagami._

She pondered the question quite deeply after she learnt about L's death. At first, she wasn't very keen to that idea. But then, she saw the mass murderer several times, she shared many moments with him and she found herself almost obliged to stay and watch over him. Not because L had asked her to, because she'd never listened to him anyway, but because her compassion and curiosity asked her to. That is how she started to see him on a regular basis, once or twice a week, to have some coffee or some dinner, to exchange opinions and theories about everything and nothing, or simply to look, talk and listen. She also started to investigate his surroundings, his family, his friends, but most of all, his so-called allies. That is how she soon got acquainted with Misa Amane, Kiyomi Takada and Teru Mikami, only to reach the same conclusion each time.

 _Light is alone. His mother and sister leave in another world, far, far away from crime and justice. His father is dead. He has no friends. His girlfriend is completely useless and oblivious. His accomplices are nothing but pawns in his hands. They mean nothing to him. He has no one to rely on. He has no one to talk to.  
_ _The only barrier that protected him from the breach of madness died in his arms one year ago. From that day, he has started to sink into insanity, slowly, gradually, but not less surely._  
 _I know he's coming closer to his downfall and I can't do anything to prevent it. It seems L's successors are not such incompetent idiots, after all.  
All I can do is watch him, listen to him, until he draws his last breath._

She sighed as she grabbed her head in her hands, eyeing the thin piece of paper that laid on the desk before her. She read the lines once again.

 _Miss Elena Cabestan,_

 _If you are reading those lines, this means I am no longer alive. I know you probably do not care at all about my tragic fate, thinking I deserved it fully, and I will not object to that. But, before any trace of me vanishes from this world for ever, let me say what I ought to say ten years ago._

 _I am sorry, Elena Cabestan. I know what I did to you is unforgivable, and I am not asking for forgiveness, for I know you will never give it to me, not even to my dead body, and you have the right not to do so. I am telling you that because I want you to know that you were right all along, and I_ _finally understood that.  
_

 _I understood that thanks to you, but also thanks to_ him, _thanks to Light Yagami.  
_ _I am not Justice.  
_ _Yes, I am not Justice, I never was, and I never will, nor is or will ever be Kira. Because Justice is immortal.  
_ _No human, no government, no court, no God could ever pretend to represent Justice on earth. Justice is merely an ideal, a construction of the mind that stretched towards a certain vision of perfection that doesn't exist. If you believe you reached that ideal, then it means you certainly didn't and you surely will not, ever.  
_ _That is where we, Kira and L, failed. And we will pay for that failure. I am sure you will be glad to hear that he and I will pay dearly for our mistake._

 _But Kira is still alive, and he will soon have to cope with my successors. To be honest, if Kira were not Light Yagami, I would not worry myself anymore. But Kira being Light Yagami, as we both know, I must say I am quite distressed as to how this case will end.  
_ _However, I am sure of one thing: Light will not survive this. How or when he will die, I do not know, what I know for sure is that he will eventually die, sooner rather than later._

 _I know you probably do not care about the outcome of this case either, for this was never your case, that is why I will not ask for your cooperation. I choose to trust the abilities of my successors on that, perhaps wrongly.  
_ _But I know you do care about something that overtakes everything else. Emotions. Human emotions are your speciality, your greatest passion.  
_ _Surely, you will not miss a golden opportunity to study one of the most complex human beings in the world, now will you?  
_ _So here is my proposition, which you are totally free to refuse, and I could do nothing about it, since I must now be buried six feet under._

 _Look after Light Yagami.  
_ _Study him, watch over him, examine him, investigate him, dissect him, destroy him, until there is no hesitation, no uncertainty, not even the tiniest doubt left.  
_ _This is your job, my dear criminologist. Don't do it for me, for I know you would despise the mere idea of helping me in any way, but do it for yourself._

 _Indeed, what greater revenge than beating me at my own game by understanding the only person I could never understand?  
_ _What greater revenge than being able to see and touch the only person I have ever longed for, whereas I will never see him again?  
_ _I know you will not be able to resist such a temptation, Elena Cabestan. You may think whatever you wish, but I know you._

 _I know you understand me. I know you understand my feelings better than anyone else, probably better even than myself, because you are simply too talented in the area of emotions, so I will not bother wording them to you._

 _The truth is, I never had the chance to understand the feelings of Light Yagami, perhaps because I was too busy_ _in understanding his schemes. But I am sure of one thing: Light and I have the same issue. The more we are forced to embrace our emotions, the more we lose ground. So why take the risk? As you can see, neither of us did._

 _For this very reason, I do not know what Light Yagami feels._

 _You were right all along. It was whether him or me.  
As you are reading this mail, you now know I made my choice. For once, I tried not to be selfish, as you always reproached me._

 _It is him._

 _He will live, for the both of us. However, we both know he won't live for long.  
You do not have much time, so I hope you will use it wisely.  
Stay with him, learn to understand him, where I cannot._

 _I do not know who Light Yagami really is, but someone has to. Someone has to know him before he dies._

 _So, Elena Cabestan, will you **know**?_

''You fool.'' She spat at no one in particular, or at least no one present, as she grasped the sheet and crushed it between her hands. ''Of course, I _know_.''

She threw the torn letter into the bin without a second thought.

''He loves you.'' She muttered, raising her head to look at the window, without really seeing through it.

''You didn't let yourself die so he could live. You let yourself die because you knew it would kill _him_.'' She growled angrily. ''Now he will be the only one to suffer...''

She slammed her fist on the wooden table. ''Damn you, L! You're dead and you still win! You've cheated the game!'' Her voice creaked with both wrath and desperation, and she let her eyes close.

''You're a _monster_.''

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Thank you all for reading, I hope you liked this chapter! Yes, that was rather sad, I know. But what's a story without a little bit of drama, uh?

To those who dislike the **flashback** parts, just know that **it will be over in the next chapter**. And until then, be sure that it is useful to understand the characters' past.

 **Next chapter: after Elena's story, Mello is forced to meet with Near. Alone.**

I don't know when I'll be able to update, but I hope it will be in the next two weeks. So bare with me and be patient!

 **Please follow and leave a review to share your thoughts, it will motivate me to write!**

Bye bye, humans!

 ** _C._**


	20. Farewell

**To Life-Is-Ironic:** Thank you so much for your kindness! I am really happy you find this story "fantastic" and I assure you, there's no need to find another word because I like that one very much, to be honest! xD Thank you for your support once again. I am glad to see there are a very few people, including you, who remain faithful to this story. I hope this fanfiction will continue to please you!

 **To BarkingKittens:** Thank you for all those nice compliments, but really I wasn't expecting someone to say that this story is marvelous! But you did, and that made my day! I don't know if my writing is that good, because after all I am not a native english speaker, but thank you for saying so! And I am glad I managed to write all the protagonists in character (though, Elena Cabestan being my character, I can do whatever I want with her, hehe), because that was my original goal. I would have hated to write Light, L, Near or Mello out of character. I also tried to find loopholes in the manga so I could add a few things here and there which would still fit the original plot and even somehow benefits it, so I hope it worked. Anyway, I am really happy you like this story and I hope the following chapters won't deceive you!

* * *

 ** _New York City M.N. Murder Case_**

 **Chapter 20: Farewell**

* * *

 **13th of January of 2010: To-Oh University of Law, Tokyo.**

''Hey, you!''

Elena Cabestan stopped in her tracks at hearing the piercing, authoritative voice. The high-pitched voice carried a strong Japanese accent, but most of all a powerful sense of hatred and despise. The golden-haired woman, holding her suitcase in her right hand and a cup of fuming coffee in her left, turned around to face her interlocutor.

''Yes?''

She was stunned to find herself facing a young woman dressed in black skirts, tank top and high heels boots. Long blonde tails were perched on each side of her porcelain-doll-like face, which was enhanced by pursed red lips and grey eyes launching lighting bolts.

''Uh...'' The french lawyer arched an eyebrow at that rather unexpected sight.

 _That girl certainly isn't studying here. She's probably not studying **at all** , for that matter._

''Can I help you?'' She asked evenly.

''Yes!'' The girl snapped as she rushed towards the criminologist, so fast the latter didn't even see her coming, and pointed an accusing finger at Elena's nose. ''If you wanna help me, then stay away from Light!''

Cabestan took a hesitant step backwards, raising both her hands before her in a soothing fashion.

 _I see. I've already met the lover, and now I meet the girlfriend. Great._ She thought sarcastically.

''I believe this is a misunderstanding, Miss Amane. I'm a friend of Light Yagami, I'm sure he will be able to confirm this to you. Whatever your fertile mind may have imagined, I assure you, this is not what you think.''

The blonde girl shot her a distrustful glare. ''You're just like this pervert. You're lying. You're seing him. Every week. Don't lie to me, I know it!'' She threw her fist towards the lawyer as if to hit her in the chest, but instead her hand collided with the cup, which tipped over, spilling its content all over the older woman's white shirt. Elena gasped at the hot boiling contact, before she reported her attention on the girl.

''Damn it! If you want to accuse me, at least do it with more class, for Hell's sake!'' She spat as she reached down at her bag, pulling a small tissue out of the case and wiping off the coffee from her breast.

''I could say the same thing to you!'' Misa fought back instantly. ''If you wanna steal Light from me, then do it with more class!''

''Oh please!'' She rolled her eyes, feeling her patience slowly faltering. ''Don't act as if your precious Light is the most clever and beautiful man on Earth! There are many others who are just as good, believe me.'' She snorted disdainfully.

''But for your information, I've indeed been seeing your boyfriend recently, because we happen to have many things in common. We like to talk and exchange opinions about law, philosophy, politics— things that he can't do with you apparently. Also, I've been trying to help him feel better, since you're too self-centred to even have noticed how broken he is on the inside.'' The more she spoke, the more her voice sharpened. ''So yes, I've been seing your boyfriend to give him what he needs! And contrary to what you may think, this is not sex, because judging by the number of times he touched you, we could safely assume he doesn't give a shit about sex! He probably doesn't give a shit about you neither, but you're too stupid to understand that!''

Misa's bluish eyes grew as wide as saucers.

''So yes, I gave him the only thing he truly needs: attentive ears.'' Now, she was practically shouting at the poor girl in front of her, who was gradually shrinking, moving away from the raging professor.

''Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a shirt to change and a lesson to lead.'' Elena Cabestan said, her voice deadly cold. With that, she turned on her heels, leaving an aghast and astounded Misa who didn't dare to try and catch up with the curled-haired woman, who headed straight towards the university main building.

 _This man really treats women like trash. I don't even understand why I'm still bothering to see him. Oh, right. I've promised myself to solve the puzzle that is Light Yagami just to spite L._

She sighed deeply as she climbed the steps to the entrance door.

 _Yes, that really sounds like a hopeless cause. Exactly the type I'd get myself involved in... Damn, this is so me! I am hopeless._

She shook her head, smiling at her own stupidity.

''You're probably the only woman on Earth who can still manage a smile after being in contact with Misa Amane.''

Elena Cabestan froze in place once again. That calm, cool voice, she knew it. She knew it too well.

 _Oh my Satan. I can't take two steps in this city without meeting with someone I know. I'm really starting to know too much people here. If it continues that way, I'll become a true Japanese woman before the end of the week._

She plastered the most charming smile she could manage on her red full lips as she turned around to face a beautiful short-brown-haired woman.

''Kiyomi.'' She stated in an honeyed tone. She walked slowly towards the journalist who was wearing round black sunglasses and a light pink shawl on her head to prevent people from recognizing her, she supposed.

''It seems you can't live without me, can you? It's been—what?'' She tilted her head to the side, feigning to think. ''Four days since I last saw you? Well, you certainly is insatiable.''

The younger woman averted her gaze, her cheeks slightly flustered as she muttered, ''Non sense. I am not here for...for _that_. I just wanted to see you—'' She interrupted herself, her mouth opening in awe as she realized what she'd just said, but most of all, what the other woman could interpret.

Elena laughed genuinely in response. ''That's what I thought.'' She took another step towards Takada, who didn't show any intention to step back and simply stared at the criminologist as she closed the gap between them, reaching out to stroke her cheek ever so slowly. ''So tell me, my beautiful journalist,'' she whispered, ''why did you want to see me?''

Kiyomi restrained a growl as she felt herself leaning into the smooth touch almost against her will. ''I just came to warn you, Elena. Misa doesn't know anything about Kira anymore, she forgot everything directly or indirectly linked to Light Yagami being Kira. But she's still dangerous. She's under the police's constant surveillance and she is barely able to control her own words, let alone her temper. That is why Light needs to keep her at leash.''

Cabestan's eyes narrowed at her unexpectedly, which caused the younger woman to frown before she continued. ''Just...be careful. She could tell the task force that you're being in contact with Light out of anger and you'll enter the suspects list in no time. I am sure that N and M will find very interesting that a lawyer is somehow linked to the Kira prime suspect...''

''N and M?'' She inquired, quirking a quizzical eyebrow. ''Is that a joke? Are there other detectives out there who call themselves by a letter?''

''Yes. Light didn't tell you about them?''

''Bloody hell.'' The french woman brought a hand to her forehead in exasperation. ''This has to be a joke, or at least a nightmare... Yes, that must be it. D, L, N, M. All those letters... It'll never stop... There will always be detectives...''

This time, Kiyomi found herself really worried for the woman before her. She raised a hesitant hand and seized Elena's in a soft gesture. ''Elena? Are you alright? It's okay. Light has a plan. He will get rid of them both, don't worry.''

Cabestan looked up, glowing amber eyes locking with dark brown. ''He will get rid of them both? How? Are N and M working together?''

Takada shook her head. ''According to what I've been told, they're rivals. They both have their own leads and means. They're not cooperating, quite the opposite, in fact.''

''Ah!'' The penal law professor scoffed loudly. ''If they're not together, they will both loose.'' She shook her head. She sounded as if she'd forgotten completely about Takada's presence and was merely talking to herself. ''Fools. All fools. They're all going to die.''

''Yes, that's why you don't need to worry.'' Kiyomi confirmed in a soothing tone, a shy smile tugging at her red lips. She lowered her gaze to Cabestan's stained shirt, chuckling quietly. ''Ah, that bitch truly made a mess. Look at you.''

She then dug a hand into her small black handbag, pulling out a large tissue, and applied it on Elena's breast. ''Here, let me help you.''

The french lawyer's eyes followed the brunette's motions with astonishment as Takada was gently rubbing the fabric against her chest. She waited a few seconds as if to check if the other woman was willing to continue that little charade, before she grabbed Kiyomi's hand.

''Kiyomi. Thank you for your dedication, but it's useless. My shirt is ruined, I'll have to change it anyway.''

''But I can make it at least a little better, the tissue will absorb—''

''Kiyomi.'' The criminologist cut her off, though her voice were nothing but low and enticing. She brought the brown-haired woman's hand to her lips as she murmured. ''If you want to touch me, you don't need to find an excuse, you know. Just say it.'' Her hazel eyes gleamed with mischief as she met Takada's confused gaze.

''Why are you always such a tease?'' Kiyomi almost groaned as she withdrew her hand from Cabestan's grip.

''I guess that's my nature.'' Elena served her a knowing, cheeky grin, which only annoyed the younger woman more.

''Obviously.''

The two women stayed still, their eyes firmly locked, their faces only a few inches apart. None of them dared to move. Each of them waited for the other to crack and take the first step.

Eventually, the Japanese woman sneaked a glance at her right, at her left, and without further ado, she lunged forward and took hold of Elena's collar, pulling her face towards her.

''If you weren't such a tease, that would _never_ happen.'' She mumbled, whereas her lust-filled eyes caught the sight of the red scarlet lips, telling an entire different story.

She claimed Elena's lips and let her eyes close as she drowned into the passion. The professor smirked into the kiss, sliding her arms around the other woman's waist. Teeth were attacking her lower lip with fury, but she found that she didn't care. Tongues were twisting and melting together, but she found that she didn't care either.

When the journalist finally pulled back, short of breath, their gaze met, and she knew that this was farewell. She accepted it.

''It's the last time, Elena.'' Takada declared, panting slightly as she caressed her neck with the tip of her fingers, before taking her hands back. ''I can't do this anymore. I've found a purpose to my life. I will help Kira change this rotten world, I'll help him reach perfection. I will rule at his side, because he needs it and because I want it. I can't deviate from my goal.'' She looked down, refusing to meet Elena's twinkling eyes. Perhaps she feared those eyes could deviate her from her goal.

''You are temptation, Elena Cabestan. And I cannot be tempted.'' She finally raised her head to encounter Cabestan's expectant eyes. ''Farewell, Elena.''

Elena Cabestan, the perfect representation of resignation and composure, nodded in acknowledgement. She couldn't help but shot the Japanese woman one last smile. So she did, bowing her head lightly in a true show of respect.

When she put her head back up, she found herself alone in the middle of the courtyard, at the entrance of the faculty. Kiyomi Takada had already vanished into thin air. She sighed deeply as she entered the building, leading straight towards her office.

 _Silly woman. You're running straight into a wall. All of that for a man who will never love you for what you are. Such a great woman, falling into the trap of a selfish criminal.  
I could give you what you wanted, but you wouldn't take it. You stubborn, naive woman.  
Such a shame.  
_ _You deserved so much better, Kiyomi Takada._ _And now, you'll get only one single thing that you certainly don't deserve._

 _Death._

* * *

 **18th of January of 2010, 11:34pm: Conrad Hotel, room 313.**

Light Yagami was currently sitting in a large red velvet sofa in a very spacious, well-designed hotel room. He could have been perfectly at ease, if it weren't for the sight that spread right before him. A harmonious, graceful figure all dressed in black and white was crouched on the armchair in front of him, a plate on its knees, a fork planting repeatedly in what looked like a strawberry cheesecake. As much as he denied it, that sight awoke painful, bitter memories he couldn't chase away from his mind.

''...Light, are you even listening to me?'' He almost expected the rich, baritone masculine voice that would match the slouched figure, but instead this voice was soft, soprano and oh so feminine.

That had the immediate effect to drag him out of his transe. He sighed as he raised his head, not to meet obsidian, calculating eyes, but rather to meet warm hazel eyes.

''Sorry, Elena.'' He shook his head, causing auburn strands to swing above his forehead. ''I was lost in thought. What did you just say?''

''You know, you really should stop looking at me like that. We had an agreement, remember? I am not attracted to you and you are not attracted to me.'' She stated matter-of-factly, her eyes fixed on the pastry.

''What the hell are you talking about?'' He narrowed his eyes.

''Do you really think I didn't notice?'' She sneered, before she dug a full fork of cake into her mouth. ''You're staring as if you're about to jump on me.''

''What?'' He widened his eyes. This time she really caught him off guard, even though he managed to regain his composed features not even half a second later.

''And you call yourself God of the new world, the most intelligent man on Earth... Please! Let me laugh.''

''Will you explain yourself at once?'' He asked through gritted teeth.

''Fine, fine! Relax, Kira.'' She held her hands up in a peaceful gesture. ''If you're not willing to understand, then let me say it for you.'' She winked at him, and he refrained the desire to roll his eyes. ''I believe that, in my current situation, I make you think of L. For that reason, you're staring at me very, _very_ intently, as if you were about to devour me, just like you wish you had devoured _him_.'' Before he could perform the slightest gesture, she stretched a hand, palm opened towards him in an attempt at appeasing the now enraged student who was struggling to conceal his inner wrath.

''Ah! I'll stop you right away, before you try to damage my face. I don't want to know what you want to do to him.'' She caught Light's burning eyes, totally unimpressed by the menacing glow that reflected in them. ''Unfortunately, I already know because of the way you just looked at me, while you were thinking of _him_. But I am _not_ him, Light.'' Her voice softened ever so slightly as she spoke those words.

''I'm aware of that. You don't know what you're saying, as always.'' He spat, his eyes now glaring daggers.

''Oh, I think I know very well, on the contrary...''

''Sorry if I'm not too convinced.'' He puffed.

''Really?'' A provocant, disturbing grin graced her scarlet lips, and Light knew this could only be of bad ominous. He understood he was right when the french woman continued in a sugary tone. ''I guess I'll have to show you, then.''

He was about to respond when the woman's behaviour tore all the words that had been forming in his tongue out of his mouth. Elena Cabestan disregarded her dark high heels on the floor and brought her legs to her chest. Light furrowed his eyebrows.

 _What the hell?_

She put down the plate on the coffee table and rested both of her hands on the top of her knees.

''What are you doing?''

''You see, if I were to sit normally, my deductive skills would immediately be reduced by roughly forty percent.'' Her voice was drastically different, low, grave, monotone.

He blinked in bewilderment. _No, that's impossible..._

She raised a hand to her mouth and placed her thumb between her teeth, gnawing at her nail.

 _I can't believe it. How is it possible?_

''That is, it would be a problem if Light were Kira...'' She began as her gaze lift to the ceiling, ''...for Light is my first ever friend.''

He froze, his hands clenching the armrests tightly.

 _NO._

He wanted to talk, he wanted to scream, but he had no words, no voice to express what he was truly feeling at this very moment.

''Tell me, if I should die, would you take over for me as L?''

''No...'' His voice weakened, and he shook his head unconsciously.

 _How does she know? How does she know all of this?_

''Yes, Light. There's no need to be shy.''

''I'm not shy.'' He murmured as he looked down, not able to bear the view of the ghost of L anymore.

 _Why? Why is she saying that?_

''No need to be so serious, either.''

 _Damn it, it's his exact words! **L** 's exact words!_

As he stayed silent, she continued, imperturbable, ruthless.

''The bells are very loud today.''

His whole body tensed.

 _No. Not that._

''Shut up.'' He hissed.

''Kira is childish and hates to lose.''

''Shut up!''

''It'll be lonely, won't it?'' She said quietly, and her voice seemed to echo in his brain darkly, endlessly.

''What?'' He finally dared to look up, momentarily forgetting this was nothing but a pale repetition of a scene he had already lived two years ago.

''You and I will be parting ways soon.''

And that marked the breaking point of his tolerance.

''SHUT UP!'' He rose from his chair and rushed towards the criminologist, shaking her by the shoulders vehemently.

''You have no idea what you're doing! You have no idea what you're talking about! You're not him, Cabestan! You're not L! Stop it! L is dead! I killed him! He is no more! Do you hear me? He is _dead_!'' He howled at her without any restraint, madly, desperately.

He didn't react when he felt lean, but no less strong arms encircling his back as he was drawn towards the slouched figure sitting on the armchair. Then a cold, chilling whisper tickled the shell of his hear, and her voice tasted like poison.

''Tell me, Light, from the moment you were born, were there ever been a point where you actually said the truth?''

He couldn't quite say why, but he shivered as those words reached his hears. His throat became dry, and he suddenly found himself unable to lie. Not to Elena Cabestan, the only person who seemed able to understand him in this world, his only last friend, and not to L, not even to his ghost that were now living through her. Not anymore.

''Yes...'' He muttered as he finally let his guard down, for what did he have to lose anyway? So he relaxed in Cabestan's arms, pretending it was someone else's. ''There is.''

''When was it?'' Elena asked just as silently.

''Now. Right now.'' He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the older woman's slim body. ''I'll tell the truth.''

''And what is the truth, Light?''

''I...'' He pursed his lips, as if struggling to hold back the words that threatened to escape his lips, but it was too late, his body was giving up on him. ''I...I hate you, L!'' He clenched his fists, twisting them in the fabric of the professor's blazer.

''I know.''

''I hate you so much! But...'' His lips twitched in disgust, his brows furrowed furiously at what he was about to say, and yet he had to say it, only this once. ''But... But... I love you.'' This last words were muffled into Elena's golden locks.

He could almost hear his soul crying out, destroying his mind and brain all at once.

 _No! That's bullshit! Get a hold on yourself! L is your enemy! You hate him! You killed him! You can't love him, you idiot!_

And he was ready to believe that reasonable voice, but when he felt wet, hot liquid dropping from his eyes and flowing down his cheeks, he knew he simply couldn't lie to himself.

 _L, you bastard! Why couldn't you just die? I hate you!_

 _Damnit! I love you..._

He didn't cry, he didn't sob, for that was not how Light Yagami was dealing with sorrow. No. He simply stayed motionless, huddled up in Elena's arms, which he didn't sense anymore, in silence. Tears might run down his cheeks, but no sound escaped his mouth, for everything was already said.

''It's okay, Light.'' A low, soothing voice murmured in his hear. ''It's okay to fall for your enemy.''

''No, it's not.'' His voice was broken, hushed.

''Yes, it is.'' A light chuckle coming from the woman's throat sent a vibration through him. ''You're not the first one, and you certainly won't be the last. Humans are made like this, and always remember...'' She trailed off as she deposed a feather kiss on his forehead, as a sister, a mother would do. But his sister, just like his mother, knew nothing about him. They were family by blood, not by heart. They didn't understand him. And they were not here for him at this very instant. Only her, only that french law professor was right here with him.

''...Even _L_ is human.''

That caused his heart to skip a beat. He straightened himself so he could meet Elena Cabestan's shining eyes.

''What? Do you mean...? No... He couldn't... It's impossible. He didn't—''

''Yes.'' She cut him off, a genuine smile dancing gracefully on her red lips. ''Oh _yes_ , believe me. He _did_.''

And he believed her. For he knew she would not lie to him, just like he didn't lie to her. She was the last friend he had in this evil, rotten world, and she was the only one who knew absolutely everything about him, without him saying anything.

Then, shaking his head, he stood up, as if nothing ever happened, and took a step back. He realized his hands were still trembling. He took a deep breath, calming his temper, quickly getting back to his sense. He lowered his gaze to the floor, away from the unsettling view of Elena mimicking L to perfection.

 _And that very fact can only mean one thing..._

''When I first talked to you, you already knew that Ryuzaki was none other than L.''

''Of course.'' The smooth, defiant voice of Elena Cabestan was back, leaving the memory of L's haunting voice to the back of his mind, much to his relief.

''You know that Deneuve is L.''

''Of course.'' She scoffed.

Eventually, he looked up to face a very normal law professor, sitting straight on her armchair, crossed legs, high heels well threaded on her feet.

''You met him. Face to face.'' He declared, and his tone bore no possibility of contradiction whatsoever.

''Indeed.'' She smiled mirthlessly.

''How do you know all that? All those things he said, you repeated it flawlessly. How is it possible?''

''L knew he was going to die. Let's say he didn't leave the living world without a trace.''

''What do you mean?'' He arched an interrogating brow. ''Are you saying he sent you the content of the conversations I shared with him?''

''I didn't say that.'' The young woman shrugged, the corners of her lips twisting upwards. ''You did.''

''Who are you, Elena Cabestan?'' He inquired quietly as his amber eyes met her twinkling brown.

''Well, now that L is dead, I think we could say...'' She paused, as if pondering her words.

''...I am your last tie to humanity, _Kira_.''

* * *

 **27th of January of 2010, 10:45pm: Conrad Hotel Restaurant, Tokyo.**

''M is dead.''

''Hm?'' The curled-haired woman raised her head from her wine glass.

''Mello is dead.''

''Oh, really?''

''Yes. Takada is dead as well.''

She choked on her wine, reaching up to press a towel to her mouth. She soon found herself struggling to breath, when a glass of water appeared next to her empty plate.

''Here. Drink. Perhaps you should go easy on the wine.'' The soothing voice of Light Yagami spoke quietly. You could think he was showing signs of kindness, but that was without counting on the cruel, vicious smirk that spread his thin lips, which was everything but gentle.

''You...killed her.'' She panted as she finally caught her breath.

''Ah...'' He sighed, shaking his head slightly. ''You must know it was not one of the most pleasant things I had to do in my life. But I had to. She was becoming a nuisance and you know it. She fulfilled her goal though. She killed Mello. But then I couldn't let Near get his hands on her, now could I?''

In response, the lawyer just glared at him with piercing, threatening brown eyes, which drew a smile from the madman.

''Of course, that's partly your fault, Cabestan.'' He stated neutrally as he drank in his red whine glass. ''Because of you, Takada was becoming more hesitant, more weak. I couldn't afford to keep such a poor ally at my side.''

''That's not true. You killed her because you knew she was gradually getting out of your reach. She was not weak, on the contrary, she was gaining more and more strength, thanks to _me_.'' She retorted fiercely, her eyes never leaving his. ''I gave her what you could never give, because your heart belongs to someone else. And you suffer so much that you can't bear to give what was never given to you. But it seems that what I gave to her slowly became more important than what you could offer her as Kira, after all. And the mere perspective of a woman escaping your control, you just couldn't stand it, am I right?''

''Whatever you want to put it, Elena.'' Light ignored her provocation blatantly. ''It doesn't change the fact that she'd become a liability, so I had no choice but to get rid of her. But...'' His gaze softened ever so slightly, and she frowned at that sudden change.

''I know you liked her...a lot, and I am sorry for killing her. I wasn't particularly glad to do so, trust me.''

''How could I trust a heartless murderer like you?'' She remained unfazed by the spiteful glance she earned. ''Since when Kira is sorry for killing someone who's bothering him, anyway?''

''Since I started killing to prevent myself from being caught, rather than to dispense justice.''

''Are you sorry for killing L?''

''That...That's different.''

''Of course, you won't answer me.'' She chuckled bitterly. ''Let me rephrase my question, then.'' She smiled deviantly. ''If L hadn't been so willing to arrest you and send you to your execution, would you have killed him?''

''Of course not.'' He replied instantly, perhaps a bit too hastily, and Elena couldn't help but savour his uncotrolled precipitation with delight.

''If it weren't for Kira, I guess you two would have been great friends...if not more.''

''I suppose you're right— Wait. What do you mean by _more_?''

''What do you think I mean?'' She shot him a glorious, meaningful grin.

''Damnit, Elena.'' He growled. ''You can be quite annoying sometimes, you know?''

''I return the compliment.''

''... _Very_ annoying.'' His eyes twitched dangerously, before his features relaxed once again as he let out a weary sigh. ''Anyway, I have to leave.'' He stood up and walked away, sidestepping the table. ''You know the task force is spying on me, and I wouldn't want them to suspect you, especially now that Takada is dead, leaving a vacant place at my side, ready to be taken...'' He sneaked a heavy, significant look towards the lawyer who shook her head disapprovingly.

''No. You know I can't, Kira.''

''Yes, I know.'' He nodded, putting his hand on Cabestan's shoulder. ''Such a brilliant, smart woman... What a shame.''

''I could say the same about you.'' She murmured as she removed his hand from her shoulder swiftly. ''Such a clever boy, full of good intentions. He had everything, he could have achieved so much... But instead he chose to sacrifice his soul and heart in order to save the world.''

''It was necessary.''

''I know.'' She said quietly.

''Well, I have to go now. Tomorrow is a big day, the day of Kira's final victory.'' He announced solemnly, confidence and vanity seeping from his voice. ''I'd like to celebrate my victory with you tomorrow night. Will you be available?''

''Of course.'' She smiled sadly. If Light noted the melancholy in her tone, he didn't do anything about it.

''Great. Until tomorrow, then.'' He started towards the door when the professor's calm voice stopped him.

''Light? Please do me a favor.''

''What favor?''

''Once on the other side, say hello to L for me.''

Light Yagami could do nothing but stare at the golden-haired woman's back he still could see from his spot, in front of the exit door of the restaurant. He was not sure if he understood what the criminologist meant by those enigmatic, cryptic words, or perhaps he was afraid he had understood them perfectly well. Either way, he never answered.

But Elena Cabestan knew he understood her, for that was the very reason why he never replied. He simply couldn't admit it, because if he did, that would mean he had thought, even for second, of defeat. And he could not allow it. Kira would win tomorrow afternoon in the Yellow Box, and Near would lose. There was no other way out.

 _Farewell, Light Yagami._

This was the last time the french law professor Elena Cabestan saw the world's most dangerous criminal of all times, Light Yagami.

 _L, I've won. I understand Light Yagami like you never will. But even though I may have his trust, you have something far more important, something he isn't even aware he gave to you._

 _Don't worry, he will join you soon. And perhaps you will give back what you stole from him._

 _On the other side, you will finally be who you really are._

 _It will be just L and Light Yagami._

 _For ever._

 _Now my work here is done._

 _ **I** am done._

* * *

 **28th of January of 2010, 5:15pm.**

She fastened her seatbelt and let her eyes wander at the window which showed a clear view of Tokyo Narita International Airport.

 _Farewell, Tokyo._

A ghost smile haunted her lips.

She was interrupted by a firm vibration coming for her blazer pocket. Frowning, she pulled her phone out and checked the lock screen. At the middle of the screen, sent by an unknown number, lay a short, deadly text message.

'' _Kira is dead_.''

She switched off her phone, leant back against her seat and shut her eyes from the world.

 _Fucking justice._

* * *

 **15th of September of 2011, 4pm.**

''Then, I broke the contract I had with the To-Oh University and I went back to France to became Director of the Master in Penal Law and Criminal Sciences at Paris Sorbonne University. Once there, I managed to sign a new contract with Philadelphia University of Law, so I was sent there for one semester...but of course, that was before _L_ came in and kidnapped me.'' She sighed, shaking her head.

''I must say I was quite distressed when I saw the gothic letter L plastered on my screen. I thought I would never have to deal with all that anymore, but it seems fate decided otherwise.'' She mumbled, spite could be easily deciphered in her low voice. ''To be honest, I didn't want to have anything to do with L anymore. But then I realized this was a second chance. I let L and Light die, but I won't let _you_ die.'' She finally raised her head to glance at the blinding white screen that still displayed the large dark letter.

''So I held up my end of the bargain,'' she stated neutrally. ''You know everything you wanted to know. Now it's your turn.''

''Wait, wait, wait!'' A throaty voice interrupted her. She turned towards the blonde young man that was sitting next to her.

''What?''

''There are still some things you didn't say. How you got to meet L in person, why you hate him so much, and why the hell you wanted him to suffer?!''

''Oh, but that was not part of the deal, if I remember well.'' Elena Cabestan chuckled lightly. ''I said I would tell you everything I know, everything I learnt, everything Kira told me, and all the meetings I had with him in details. I've been very kind to tell you about Kiyomi Takada and Misa Amane, because that was not part of the deal either.'' She smirked deviously.

''You bitch!'' Mello spat at her. ''You promised you would tell us everything!''

''But I also told you some secrets must remain buried, Mello...'' She murmured, lowering her gaze to the wooden desk.

''But we had a deal!''

''Mello, please.'' A cool voice cut the argument short. ''Miss Cabestan is right. She promised nothing about what happened before the Kira case. I am afraid we will have to wait for her to confess willingly. Surely she will do so one day, won't you, Miss Cabestan?''

''I guess so.'' The lawyer muttered absently.

''Very well. Then we shall honor our part of the bargain.'' Near paused, before he spoke again slightly louder. ''Rester, Gevanni, are you prepared to intervene?'' Another short pause. ''Mello, are you still willing to cooperate and honor your part of the deal?''

''Yeah...'' The mafioso mumbled under his breath, turning his head away from the screen. ''I have no choice anyway.''

''Perfect. Rester, Gevanni, you have my authorization.''

As soon as he finished his sentence, a deafening bang exploded in the two protagonists' eardrums, causing them to turn around in a same panicked move. Before them stood Anthony Rester and Stephen Gevanni, all dressed in black thick protective suits, huge guns hanging at their arm. The already damaged door had been torn from its mounts and lay on the floor, under the two agents' feet.

''Seriously?'' Elena rolled her eyes. ''You think you're starring in— what? Men in black? James Bond?''

In response, Rester reached up and pointed his gun straight at her. She widened her eyes in shock.

''What—''

''Mello.'' Gevanni interrupted her as he took a few steps towards the blonde, his weapon unarmed, facing the floor. ''I received the order to lead you to L of your own accord. If you are willing to follow me without any resistance, you will be considered as L's distinguished guest. Do you accept the terms?''

Mello sneaked a suspicious glance at Rester who was still wielding his firegun at the french woman, then he reported his attention on the black-haired man. ''I accept.''

''Well, then please follow me.'' The SPM agent gestured towards the exit. The mafioso was about to follow his steps without further ado when he heard a rough, blank voice in his back.

''Miss Elena Cabestan, you are under arrest for complicity in crime against humanity.''

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Crime against humanity is what the nazis had been charged of, just so you know. It's the most serious crime that exists, it goes beyond the frontiers of the countries, for it's one of the rare crimes that can be judged in an international court.  
I just supposed that, if Kira had been given a trial, he would have been accused of crime against humanity, judging by the number of people he had killed.  
Okay, I'm done with the law class now xD

Anyway, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this rather long chapter.

Yes, Elena had been quite a bitch to Light in this chapter! But he deserved it, right? Anyway, it seems she's about to be punished...

And finally, the flashbacks are over! For those who disliked that part of the story, now we're back at the present with the Mello and Near issue!

 **Don't forget to share your thoughts, I'd like to know what you think about this chapter and the story in general!  
** **Please leave a review if you want another law lesson!... Okay that was a joke, just leave a review for me ;)**

I'm quite inspired lately, so I think I'll be able to update in the next two weeks.

Until then,

Bye bye humans!

 _ **C.**_


	21. Fall

**To ZaillaOrchid303:** First, I am truly sorry that you didn't like the way I portrayed the relationship between L and Light. That was just my interpretation, so you're completely free to disagree. But it's over now since they're both dead so it shouldn't bother you anymore, because after all nothing really happened between them. Though I didn't lie to you by including them in the story, because I mentioned the ship in the introduction of the first chapter, you can check if you want. But you are right, this is a MelloxNear story, that is why the flashbacks only lasted a few chapters, and now I'm back to the main plot. I am sorry if you didn't like that part, but I assure you that it's over now.  
And I must precise I didn't make all the characters gay, like you said. You're right, the world is no like this and showing such a world was **definitely not** **my intention**. Let me explain myself.  
In fact, I don't even consider Elena Cabestan (the OC) gay for she dated men before. But in that case, let's say she was simply "having fun" with Takada. As she said herself, she wanted to make Kira suffer, so she found that taking Takada away from him was a good idea, but she didn't succeed. As for Takada, I assure you she **is not** in love with the OC, she **is** in love with Light Yagami. She considered her little affair with Elena as a mistake and she gave in to her solely because Elena did everything to resemble Light and take his place. To sum up, it was not even real, but merely an illusion. This mistake doesn't make her gay, because once again, the world is more complicated than that. And in the end, Kiyomi rejected Elena and got back to Light, the man she _truly_ loved. She even _died_ for him.  
But you are right, perhaps it wasn't clear enough in the way I worded it in the story, so I will give all the **explanations** you lack **in the next chapter (Chapter 22)**. I hope it will solve the problem and that you'll be able to understand what was my intention in the first place. I'm sorry that you got it wrong. It's all my fault, really.  
I apologize if I disappointed you but I really hope you will not stop reading this story. Because now, it will be only centered on Mello and Near, so perhaps you'll like it more. But if you don't want to keep reading, I'll understand.  
Anyway, thank you for reading so far and thank you for sharing your thoughts! Constructive reviews always are welcome. So thank you for being honest!  
I can't help but hope I'll hear from you again...

 **To Sadnerd707:** Thank you very much for your support! Finally, Mello and Near will meet face to face! I hope you're going to like what is next, and please keep sharing your thoughts, that means a lot to me!

 **To CalypsoDansLaLune:** Me revoilà pour une update ! Je suis contente que tu aies apprécié le dernier chapitre, et j'espère continuer à te surprendre dans les chapitres suivants ! Oui effectivement je suis en droit ! Apparemment mon secret a été dévoilé sans que je m'en rende compte xD **  
**Merci encore pour tes mots d'encouragement, tes reviews me font toujours sourire ! J'espère que ce nouveau chapitre te plaira !

* * *

 _ **New** **York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 21: Fall**

Rester was approaching the golden-haired woman very slowly, carefully as he spoke sternly. ''You have the right to keep silent, but everything that—''

''Don't bother, I know my rights. What do you think I learnt in law school? Knitting?'' The lawyer snapped. ''Just get this over with.'' She said emotionlessly as she stretched out her hands towards L's agent.

Without another word, Rester handcuffed her and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her towards the front door, which was no more.

''Hey!'' Mello shouted at the older blonde man. ''What the fuck are you doing? Didn't you hear what she said? She didn't help Kira, she was just seing him, that can't be considered as complicity! So release her at once!''

''I am sorry,'' Rester replied dully, ''I am merely obeying orders.''

''What?'' He spat, then glanced at the silent criminologist. ''Elena, what are you doing? You're a lawyer, right? So tell him he's no right to do that! Defend yourself, for God's sake!''

Cabestan barely smiled as she was being dragged by the strong SPM member. ''Don't worry, Mello. It's no big deal, really. This was bound to happen one day or another.''

''But you're not Kira's accomplice!''

''Well, technically speaking...'' She winced. ''I am. Because I was aware of his actions, but I didn't do anything to stop him.''

''But you couldn't do anything, he was threatening to kill you!''

The little group was now walking down the miserable corridor and towards the metallic stairs which would lead them to the parking lot.

''The first day, maybe. But it didn't last long. In the end, Kira was even trying to protect me. Ironic, isn't it?'' She laughed joylessly.

''What?'' Mello asked hurriedly, his voice husky and wavering as he was escorted by a quiet, collected Gevanni. ''Why would he do that?''

''Believe it or not, Mello,'' the lawyer answered quietly as a hand was applied on her head, pushing her on the back seat of a large black sedan, ''but Light Yagami was my friend.''

Mello was left speechless. He was interrupted in his trance by a firm hand on his shoulder which urged him towards the opposite seat. He sat next to the now arrested lawyer and looked up to see Gevanni settle in the driver's seat, while Rester took place in the passenger's seat.

The engine purred and the car started.

 _I am coming, Near._

* * *

 **15th of September of 2011, 4:38pm: SPM Headquarters.**

Everyone kept their mouth shut as the two SPM agents guided the mafioso and the criminologist into large, luminous corridors, and into the lift, and finally, through the sliding metal doors that lead to the working room where the world's greatest detective was waiting for their arrival. As the doors slid open, Rester walked towards the young white-haired boy crouched on the ground, still holding on Elena's arm, while Gevanni simply nodded to Mello, gesturing him to come forward as well.

A blonde silhouette suddenly raised from its seat in the darkest corner of the room and took a few menacing steps towards the older of the agents.

''Rester, what do you think you're doing?'' Hal Lidner growled, before she shot a glance above her shoulder towards Near. ''L, what is the meaning of this?''

''Do not worry, Lidner.'' L's empty voice echoed in the large room. ''Rester is merely acting upon my orders. I told him to arrest Miss Cabestan as she admitted herself to have hidden vital informations from the authorities in order to protect Kira. Consequently, I am obliged to convict her for complicity of crime against humanity.''

''That's nonsense, L.'' Lidner huffed as she reached up towards the lawyer, but she was stopped in her tracks by her colleague who stepped forward, blocking her way. Blue eyes narrowed at him, but the man remained impassive. ''I know Elena can indeed be considered as Kira's accomplice according to the law, but considering the circumstances, I think we can all agree on the fact that she never _truly_ helped Kira. At best, she helped him on a psychological lever, but she never assisted him in his murdering spree.''

''That is true.'' Near agreed as he placed a domino thoroughly behind a long line formed with at least a hundred of his fellows. ''Nonetheless, you are not without knowing that I am but the servant of law.''

A sarcastic, joyless chuckle resounded behind the blonde woman, which caused all the eyes to cast upon the source of the noise, except from Near's obsidian orbs that remained focused on his domino rows.

''If I may ask, what is so ludicrous, Miss Cabestan?'' Came L's bland question.

''How you manage to say such absurd things without your voice even faltering, I'll always be impressed.'' The golden-haired woman replied playfully, still tightly restrained by the handcuffs around her wrists and Rester's merciless hands on her arms.

''You are quite serene for a person that is currently under arrest for complicity of crime against humanity...'' The world's greatest detective mused aloud, tilting his head to the side as he raised a black domino to his eyes, before putting it back down, including it in the ranks.

''Perhaps because I know this is nothing but a charade.''

This time, all pairs of eyes turned to Near, waiting for his reaction with dread.

''What?'' Lidner almost shrieked.

''Yes, what do you mean, Miss Cabestan?'' Near inquired very calmly, his eyes still not meeting hers as all his world seemed to revolve around dominos. ''Would you care to explain to us why you are saying that?''

''You may be a good liar, L,'' Elena scoffed, ''but you're still very naive if you believe that I'd fall into your trap. Always remember that I was the only one able to read both L's and Kira's mind, so you are no match to me on that area.'' She was now the centre of attention of all the persons present in the headquarters. ''You have no proof against me, you can't arrest me and you know it. Not to mention that you don't even _want_ to arrest me. This is all a test, actually.'' She stated confidently as she looked around, as if checking everyone was listening to her every word.

Strangely enough, Mello had remained silent during the whole exchange between Lidner, Near and Cabestan. He simply watched, hidden behind Gevanni's form, staying by Elena's side, who was herself standing in Rester's shadow, but he did not talk. It had been so long since he last saw the younger boy. He did everything in his power to get that man's attention, and this time, he will not be the one to take the first move. He felt as if for now, he had to observe him, observe him until he was sure this was the Near he had always known. The Near he had always loathed, despised, and... _loved_.

''A test?'' Hal furrowed her eyebrows as she met Elena's twinkling eyes. ''What are you planning again, Elena?''

''Oh, I didn't plan anything.'' The criminologist snorted. ''L did. He planned everything. This is not real, this is all a test. A test... for _Mello_.'' She turned her head to glare at the blonde man who was staring wide-eyed at the detective.

Indeed, the young detective's lips were twisting upwards, forming a thin line akin to a smirk as he stretched a finger, knocking on the domino that stood before him. The domino struck the one before, which hit the one before, and so on, until the whole room was filled with a deafening, everlasting ticking noise as the endless lines of dominos all fell to the ground, one after the other.

 _ **Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic.**_ _ **Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic.**_ _ **Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic. Tic.**_

 _ **Tic.**_

The last domino hit Mello's right boot.

Utterly dumbfounded, the blonde looked down in pure disbelief as he was drawn into the view that spread before him. Two lines of dominos started in the middle of the room— right where Near was sitting— joined in the center, then expanded to the computer desks, and going back all the way down, almost reaching the doors.

All the protagonists gasped at the same time as they followed Mello's gaze. The fallen dominos sprawled all over the floor formed one single capital letter.

 **M**

''That is right.'' Near finally spoke, putting an end to the general astonishment. ''It was indeed a test.''

''Near...'' Mello uttered the words almost shakily, his eyes still fixed on the domino that touched his feet.

''Mello.'' The white-dressed boy responded immediately, causing the older man to look up at him.

''It's been a long time.''

''Indeed.'' Near's dark eyes were cast downwards on the domino that started it all.

''Near... Look at me.'' Mello said quietly.

For the first time in almost ten years, black hypnotizing eyes met deep, fiery blue.

He took a careful step forward, making sure not to walk on the dominos that he knew were here for him, and not to lose Near's gaze for he wasn't sure if he would be able to catch those eyes again.

Rester made a move to prevent him from getting any closer to his boss, but he was stopped by red nails digging into his flesh. ''Let him.'' Elena Cabestan ordered spitefully.

''Near, what the hell is that test?''

''I am sure Mello can figure it out on his own.''

''Fine.'' He puffed in annoyance. ''Let me guess. You wanted to see if I'd intervene and try to dissuade you? You wanted to know if I'd oppose you and take Cabestan's defense, right? Why?''

''I see Mello hasn't changed at all. He is as perceptive as ever.'' Near avoided his question in his usual cool voice, but the words he pronounced had a certain effect on their receiver who blinked in wonder.

''Y-You—'' He stuttered, then paused, sighing. ''Whatever. You didn't answer, Near. Why? You wanna check if I'm ready to give up on a friend for you?'' His voice raised dangerously. ''Then yeah! I'd give up on her without any remorse! I'd give up on my own sanity, I'd even give up on myself if I had to! Yeah, I'd give up everything just for you to acknowledge me! Happy?'' He howled in frustration, throwing his hands into the air. ''Or maybe you just wanna be sure I trust you enough not to interfere? But I know you, Near. And I know you won't send someone innocent in prison just to provoke me. Though I admit it, I would gladly let the whole world be thrown in jail as long as I can stay with you. Does that make me selfish? Does that make me horrible? Well, y'know what? I don't care! Satisfied?''

''Yes.'' The younger boy answered evenly, the perfect opposite of Mello's enraged screams. ''I apologize, Mello, but I had to make the experiment.''

''Sure.'' The blonde grumbled in response, clearly unconvinced.

''One word from you, Mello,'' Near began, his voice lower, deeper than usual, ''and she is free.''

''You know she's innocent and she has nothing to do with this. So let her be.''

''Very well.'' He nodded in approval, and without tearing his eyes off Mello, he called. ''Rester, please release Miss Cabestan.''

The old SPM agent did as he was told in silence, and the lawyer took a deep breath of contentment as she rubbed her sore wrists. ''Ah, I was starting to wonder when you'll stop your little joke because I could hardly help you guys solve your lovers quarrel from my cell, and those handcuffs—''

''Lidner, Rester, Gevanni.'' L's cold, authoritative voice cut her off. ''From now on, I will leave the command of the operations to Miss Cabestan. If you have any question or interrogation, you will resort to her. I will now ask you all to leave Mello and myself alone and no one is to interrupt us until further notice. Did I make myself clear?''

Gevanni and Rester exchanged a half-puzzled, half-anxious gaze, before they nodded in silence and headed towards the exit. Lidner's clear eyes met Elena's brown orbs and the two women smiled at each other, as if to say ''We have won, my dear.'' Without an hesitation, the blonde woman stepped towards the french woman, still grinning. When she reached Elena's level, the latter wrapped her hand around her forearm as she lead her towards the sliding doors, a soft smile tugging at her red lips. Hal gladly let herself be pulled gently towards the doors which slid open at their approach.

''I can't believe you dit it, Elena.'' She murmured, shaking her head, a genuine smile crossing her thin lips. ''No one could do it. Not L, not Kira, not me...but you did.'' She sneaked a glance at the criminologist whose gaze remained fixed straight ahead, though as her lips widened, she knew she had heard her.

''I told you I would bring Mello and Near together no matter the cost, didn't I?'' She said teasingly, as her grip tightened around the older woman's arm.

''Yes, you did.''

The two women soon joined Rester and Gevanni who were waiting in front of the lift. At hearing the women's footsteps, they turned around in the same movement. They frowned slightly at the sight of Elena's hand encircling the blonde's forearm, but they kept their mouth shut.

''What shall we do now?'' Rester asked eventually.

''Well, are you all ready to respect L's wish and listen to my orders?'' Cabestan asked, eyeing the two male agents seriously.

''Yes.'' Gevanni and Lidner spoke with one voice. Elena then reported her attention on the last member of the team, frowning at him.

''Yes...'' Rester mumbled eventually, and everyone could say this was costing him greatly.

''Great!'' The criminologist exclaimed cheerfully, before she used a more bossy tone. ''Rester, are the working room doors bulletproof?''

''Yes, they are.'' Answered the man, slightly surprised.

''Perfect. Gevanni, is there any furniture or any heavy object on that floor of the building?''

''Uh... Yes, I believe there is a heavy bookshelf in the archives, but what—''

''Good news. Rester and Gevanni, please go and fetch that bookshelf. Bring it here, right in front of the investigation room doors.''

''Alright.'' The black-haired man agreed though skeptically as he obeyed, soon followed by a even more reluctant Rester.

''Lidner,'' the french woman addressed the blonde woman, her voice slightly warmer, ''do you know how to block the sliding doors?''

''Yes, all it takes is to disable the presence detecting system which causes the doors to open if it senses someone coming closer. But why are you asking?''

''Good. Do you know how to disable the system?''

''Yes, but—''

''Do it.'' The lawyer turned to face her, glowing amber eyes meeting bright blue.

Lidner quirked an inquisitive eyebrow. ''Elena, what are you planning?''

''You will soon find out.''

''Very well.'' The SPM agent sighed, before she made her way towards the control room to carry out her duty, leaving the penal law professor alone in the corridor.

A few minutes later, the two men arrived, dragging a huge, large bookshelf along with them, one on each side of the furniture, whether pulling or pushing to slide it on the floor.

''Ah, you're here. Great.'' Elena acknowledged their presence with an indifferent, yet cynical tone to her voice. ''Please wait for my signal before you move any further.''

The two men slowly straightened up, breathless and sweating, and glared at the criminologist who didn't spare them a glance. Soon, light footsteps made themselves heard on the other side of the hallway. Elena Cabestan turned around to face a very composed, stoic Lidner who bowed her head slightly as she reached the small group.

''It is done, Elena. The system is disabled.''

''Well,'' The curled-haired woman turned away to look at the two male agents, ''Rester, Gevanni, please move the shelf against the doors.''

Unsurprisingly, she was faced with wide, blinking eyes as the two men gaped in shock. ''But... Miss Cabestan... This isn't necessary...'' Gevanni sputtered, completely stunned. ''If you don't want us to enter the room, you can simply tell us not to. We have to obey you until L takes back the command, anyway. We don't need to block the doors with a bookshelf for that.''

''Oh, but I'm not asking you to do that to prevent you from entering...'' The young woman declared in a mysterious tone as she crossed her arms on her chest, a tiny smirk creeping on her features.

Lidner gasped quietly as realization struck her. ''No...''

''Oh yes.'' Elena's lips curled up into a toothy grin. ''I see you've kept up with my reasoning rather quickly, Hal.''

''Why are you asking us to block the doors, Cabestan?'' Anthony Rester snapped, venom barely hidden in his usual hollow voice.

''Well,'' she sneered as she sustained his gaze, ''I am asking you to block the doors because...''

Without a word, she turned on her heels and, with a swift glance directed towards Lidner, they seemed to reach a tacit agreement and the two women headed towards the shelf. Using the weight of their bodies, they leaned against the side of the huge furniture and pushed it against the doors. It hit the metal in a loud thump.

''I want to prevent _them_ from leaving.''

Elena Cabestan and Hal Lidner then stepped back, as if admiring their work, before turning around to face the two astounded men.

''But...why?'' Gevanni's voice was more hesitant, more insecure.

''They have run away from their feelings for far too long.'' Elena replied quietly, but not less fiercely. ''This time, there will be no escape.''

* * *

''So...'' A blonde man began, his voice husky and rough. He took a few steps forwards, between two large lines of fallen dominos. ''Now we're both here, all alone... Cabestan is happy... And then what? What are we supposed to do?''

''To be honest, I have no clue.'' A white-haired boy replied dully, his head lowered downwards.

''Wait.'' Mello shut his eyes, inhaled deeply, before his eyes fluttered open again. ''You tell me you agreed to her deal without even knowing what it's all about?''

''Well, I believe Miss Cabestan didn't require any further condition beside us meeting alone face to face.''

''Yeah... Right.'' The older man rolled his eyes. ''So I guess we're free to do whatever we want, then.''

An unsettling silence took over the investigation room, before Near finally spoke.

''...Yes.''

Mello arched an eyebrow in curiosity. ''So tell me, Near,'' he gestured to the floor in a lest move, ''what's the meaning of this? I know that at the age of twenty you're still into toys, but this? _This_ , really?'' He chuckled sarcastically as he bent over to grab the last domino that still lay on his feet. ''A dominos party? Dominos falling to create a capital M? Why? Why did you do that?''

''You know how I work.'' The albino shrugged nonchalantly as he too held a black domino in his pale hands. ''I was merely occupying my hands while thinking, and minute by minute, domino by domino, it happened to take the shape of a capital M. There is no more to it than that, I am afraid.''

 _He is playing indifferent— well, more indifferent than he already is. That can mean only one thing..._

Mello frowned slightly as his brain cells started to work and ride like gears.

 _He's lying. That's his way of hiding the truth. He acts as if he doesn't give a shit, even less than usual. It could work if I didn't know him better. He doesn't give a shit about anything and he never needs to put an act to make it clear, it's just natural for him. So the very fact he's overacting disinterest means that he **isn't** indifferent. As simple as that._

 _But where'd be the fun if I let him know I got it?_

''If you say so.'' He said as he put his head down, causing blonde bangs to hide his face. He didn't witness the sight of the world's greatest detective who looked at him, his head titled to the side quizzically.

 _He does not insist on the matter? How odd. This is very unlike the Mello I know. Very well, then. It seems that I will have to take the matter into my own hands._

''May I ask you a question, Mello?'' He inquired suddenly, breaking the silence.

The latter raised his head to peer at the younger boy. ''Yeah, well,'' he shrugged as he reached up inside his black fur coat, pulling out a very known item, a chocolate bar, ''since I'm here and we're supposed to stay alone for a while, let this not be for nothing. Go ahead.''

The question came right away, uttered by a cold, emotionless voice.

''How did you manage to fake your death and play dead for almost a year?''

''Ah, that.'' The blonde sneered as he ripped his snack packing open. ''You mean how I managed to fool you and escape your control for _more_ than a year?''

 _ **Croc.**_

Near pursed his lips together, though it might be invisible for everyone else, Mello noticed, and that caused him to smirk.

''Yes.''

''Well, that was not so complicated actually.'' He balanced his weight on his other leg, still biting at his chocolate bar. ''I succeeded thanks to Lidner's help, though she has no idea she helped saving my life.''

''Lidner?'' Black endless pools blinked at him.

''Yeah. Lidner was Takada's employee for a while, following your orders. And like we all know, Takada was Kira's accomplice. Contrary to you, I'd guessed Kira would have Mikami carrying a fake Death Note with him when Gevanni was spying on him. So when you'd get your hands on the notebook to change the pages and supposedly save your life, you'd only change the pages of an ordinary notebook, and Kira would use the real one, killing you all. He was succeeding. You had no idea you'd just fallen into his trap. You...'' He averted his gaze, turning his head to the side. ''You were going to die, Near.'' He added quietly.

''I know.'' His rival responded just as quietly.

''So I had to do something.'' Mello looked up again, clear blue eyes locking with dark. ''That's how I came up with a plan.''

''Kidnapping Kira's associate so it would force Mikami to go fetch the real Death Note and eliminate Takada, who had now become a threat.'' Near complied.

''Yes.'' Mello nodded. ''Then I had no doubt you would come up with a new plan to get the real Death Note and defeat Kira. I had to do something. Anything. Someone had to do it. So I did.''

 _ **Croc.**_

Near's eyes widened, growing as big as saucers as he stared at the mafioso, his lean hands freezing not an inch above the dominos. ''You were willing to sacrifice yourself so I could defeat Kira?''

''Yeah, well,'' he chuckled darkly, ''that bastard had to be stopped one way or another, right? So yeah, at first, that was the plan: kidnapping Takada, getting Mikami to show the real notebook and give you the opportunity to take it. I had no way to know if I'd make it, 'cause Kira's father knew my name, so I was almost sure Kira knew it as well. I could die at any moment, and I couldn't do anything about it, that's why I needed to act quick. But then... By chance, I had an idea.''

The black eyes bore into him, seeing nothing, no one but him, urging him to continue his story.

 _Finally I am the centre of your attention, Near. I'd die to have your eyes locked on me and me only for ever._

He refrained the desire to smile as he went on. ''It started with something stupid. _Really_ stupid.'' He held back a laugh at the mere memory. ''Matt told me about one of his ex-girlfriends who used to keep her money into the lining of her bra. She said that, as she looked like a perfect respectable woman, no one would guess she had money hidden in her bra, so even if she were to be searched or ordered to strip, she would always keep her bra on 'cause officers are usually very prude people. Of course, she had no such guarantee if she were raped or assaulted for example, but then she simply argued saying that in that case, she wouldn't care about money anymore.''

The blonde paused as he sank his teeth into his snack, under the very intent gaze of the young detective.

 ** _Croc._**

''So I came up with a plan that could prevent myself from dying. When I last called Hal Lidner, I told her what I was about to do. She tried to change my mind of course. I told her I was the only one who could do it. She understood what I meant, I know she did. Before we hung up, I asked something of her.''

This time, Near's blank eyebrows furrowed lightly in expectation.

''On the 25th of January, the day before the kidnapping, I asked her to do something the next morning, right before Takada left her house to go to work on the day of the kidnapping. Lidner told me Takada used to shower in the morning, so I used that to my advantage. I knew she was not going to change in the evening. Lidner was working undercover as Takada's bodyguard, and for some reason, the journalist trusted her. Enough to allow her into her private apartment.''

Mello kept his piercing eyes still anchored into Near's, making sure he was still driven by his speech.

''So I asked Lidner to creep into Takada's bedroom right before she got ready to shower and look into her bra. I told her to replace the piece of paper she'd found into the lining by another one, strictly identical. By doing so, I was sure that, once Takada would leave her apartment, go to NHN and then get back home, she'd have no time to change her clothes. So when I'd kidnap her, her only way out would be the Death Note paper she kept hidden in her bra. But if that Death Note piece was false, well...''

''...Mello would survive.'' Near finished for him, his voice as empty as ever.

''Exactly.''

A tensed silence followed the older man's story. Soon enough, the flat, emotionless voice of the world's greatest detective filled the whole room.

''Mello was very lucky. There was only a thirty-six percent chance that this plan would work as he wished. He took ill-considered risks, provoking Kira so blatantly.''

''Like I said, someone had to do it.''

''Someone ought to do it for Kira to get caught?''

''Yeah.''

''And?''

Mello quirked an eyebrow. ''And _what_?''

''Was catching Kira your only motivation when you developed that genius plan of yours?''

''I told you.'' The blonde muttered under his breath. ''If I didn't do anything, you'd have died. One of us had to make it. If I died, you had to live so L's name could survive.''

''And?'' The slouched figure repeated blankly as he engaged in stacking a few dominos, building a small pyramid.

''And...'' Mello gritted his teeth, not willing to say the words he was obliged to pronounce. ''And I didn't want you to die.''

At his greatest surprise, Near then raised his white head to stare at him, his livid lips twisting into a smirk.

''That is better.'' He stated, a hint of— was it satisfaction? joy? delight?— in his voice.

''Y-You... What do you—'' The blonde sputtered miserably, before he regained his composure, groaning. ''Whatever.''

''However, there is still something about Mello's behaviour one year ago that is disturbing me.''

''What'd that be?''

Near's hand stopped in mid-hair, his dark eyes casting downwards. ''Why did you let the whole world believe that you were dead?''

''You mean why did I let _you_ believe I was dead?''

The white-haired boy then reached up, a lean hand intertwining in silver locks, twirling a strand around his index finger. ''Yes.''

''Well...'' The mafioso found himself forced to look away from the small boy before him. ''I just thought it was the best thing to do. I was just a criminal. Who knows? After the Kira Case, you could have tried to arrest me so you'd be L's only true successor. Anyway we both know I'm not cut out for becoming L, so I'd rather disappear and let you take all the credit. At least I could be free, even if that meant living in the shadows for the rest of my life. It's not like you needed me to solve your cases anyway.'' He snorted.

''Fair enough.'' Near spoke, his voice as sharp as a knife. ''But you forgot one very important thing to take into consideration.''

''What?'' The blonde fought with himself to meet dark impenetrable eyes.

''I did not want Mello to die.''

Mello gaped in shock, opening his mouth as if to talk, then shutting it, unable to let out a single word. Despite Elena Cabestan repeating it to him again and again, hearing the man voice it aloud now, in front of him, his black orbs fixed on him and him only... That took his breath away.

''W-What? I mean...I thought...'' He grumbled, mincing his words. ''I thought you didn't care. Or maybe...I hoped you'd care. Then you'd understand what it's like to feel alone.''

''I did not need you to die to feel lonely.'' Near replied dryly.

''Yeah, well...'' The mafioso swallowed hardly, a bit taken aback by such a fierce reaction from the usually callous boy. ''It's not like you've ever expressed your feelings.''

''I suppose you have a point.'' The white-dressed man resumed the construction of his domino tower. ''So Mello wished for me to suffer.''

''I...I just...'' The blonde sighed deeply, then as if gathering all his courage, ''Well...yeah.''

''Therefore I must congratulate Mello.''

''What?''

Near put his head up, causing dark bottomless orbs to bore into blue, and they held such a strength Mello felt like they were absorbing him whole into their shadows.

''You made me suffer like no one ever did before.''

For once, Mello was left speechless.

 _Fuck. What I'm supposed to do? I want to touch him. I want to tell him. I want..._

''I know.'' He murmured.

''Do you, really?''

''Yeah... At first, I thought you didn't care, but now... I understand you do.''

''I apologize,'' Near objected neutrally as he tore his eyes off the blonde, ''but I do not believe so.''

''What do you mean?''

''I mean that you cannot possibly _understand_ how it _feels_ to _believe_ that the only person who ever mattered to you is _no more_.'' He answered deadly slowly, emphasizing every word he wanted to carve into Mello's soul.

 _Do you understand, Mello? Do you feel? Do you believe?_

Mello clenched his fists in pure rage. Angry at his enemy, angry at himself? No one could tell. But one thing was sure: he was definitely, utterly mad with anger.

''Okay, I'm done with this shit.'' He growled as he lunged forward, trampling on the scattered dominos carelessly, until he was before the other boy, his little white figure crouched right at his feet.

Without further ado, he bent on his knees, lowering himself to Near's level and clasped one of the detective's hand tightly in his. Using his other hand, he reached up to place two slim fingers under the younger man's chin, compelling their so different, yet complementary gazes to meet and melt together.

''I'm sorry, Near.'' He breathed. ''I really thought you were heartless until I realized— thanks to Cabestan— you were just as broken as I was. Maybe even more than me, actually.'' He laughed bitterly. ''But...'' He trailed off, as he slid his hand from Near's chin to rest it on his shoulder, twisting his fingers into the white fabric.

''But I don't know if I can fix you. I don't know if I can be fixed neither.'' He sighed again and put his head down, blonde bangs mixing with white locks. ''Look at L and Kira. They fought until they destroyed each other. I don't wanna destroy you, Near.''

''You do not wish to destroy me?'' A low, quiet voice made itself heard from under a stunt of white hair.

''Of course not.'' Came a hoarse whisper. ''All I ever wanted was for you to notice me, for you to acknowledge my presence. I wanted you to recognize my true value. I wanted you to see me as the person I truly am.''

''And who are you?'' Near's fresh breath tickled his cheek as he spoke.

Mello huffed. ''Just a mere criminal that has fallen in more ways than one, because of one single reason.''

''And I am but a detective that has fallen more and more low each time one single person fell.''

''Bullshit. I bet you didn't fall once.'' Mello taunted from under his own hair that still spread all over his face.

''I beg to differ.'' A small lean hand reached up to pull away the blonde strands, then made its way towards the older man's cheek, stroking it as lightly as a feather. Nonetheless this unexpected gesture had the effect of shutting the mafioso's mouth immediately.

''The day you learnt about L's death...'' His nemesis began, his hand still lingering on his cheek ever so slightly. ''I fell from Heaven.''

Mello could do nothing but stare right into those unreadable dark eyes, as if hypnotized.

''The day you left Wammy's House...'' The pale hand rolled up to touch his forehead. ''I fell to the ground.''

He stayed there, motionless, completely frozen in place by Near's icy touch on his skin. The only thing he could do was tightening his grip on his rival's wrist unconsciously, almost desperately.

''The day you were declared dead...'' The delicate fingers slid down onto his other cheek, running down his jawline. ''I fell _with_ you.''

Mello's eyes were gradually widening in pure shock, though he still couldn't avert his gaze from the mesmerizing obsidian orbs. He was trapped into their dark, alluring prison.

''And today, the day you finally came back to me...'' A soft finger brushed his lips smoothly. Mello's mouth opened slightly, a silent gasp escaping his lips.

But as the finger pressed against his lower lip, he was reduced to silence once again. Then, a quiet exhale came out of the white-haired boy as he simply looked down at the blonde's mouth with curious, intense black eyes, thin eyebrows knitting as if in deep concentration. Mello felt as if he was being dissected, eaten alive, and he found that he liked it.

Near's voice was but a bare whisper, both angelic and demonic as he pronounced the sinful words.

''I am falling _for_ you.''

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Thank you all for reading, I hope you liked that chapter!

So here we are, back at the present time. Flashbacks are over (much to everyone's relief I know), and Mello and Near are finally reunited. This story is slowly getting closer to its end, but there's still many things that have yet to happen. I estimated there'll be a total of **26 or 28 chapters** approximately, the only thing I know for sure is it won't exceed 30 chapters.

Some of you rightfully told me about their interrogations about Takada's feelings, so I'm going to clarify it here to make sure everyone got it: **Takada was never in love with Elena Cabestan**. Please check my response to the first review at the beginning of the chapter for more informations.

If you didn't understand what really happened between **Takada and Elena** , or **Light and Elena** , don't worry. **Everything will clear up in the next chapter.**

I think I'll be able to update maximum in the next two weeks, so please be patient.

 **Until then, please leave a review or PM me! I would be glad to know what you think about this chapter or the story in general.  
Your feedbacks are my drug!**

Bye bye, humans!

 _ **C.**_


	22. Say The Words

**To SadNerd707:** Thank you so much for your eagerness, it's really encouraging! So here is Chapter 22, I really hope you'll like it. Please tell me what you think about it!

 **To Life-Is-Ironic:** Ahah! I know I've been quite bitchy to cut the chapter at that crucial moment. I hope you'll forgive me when you'll read what's next ;) Don't hesitate to tell me what you think about this chapter!

 **To CalypsoDansLaLune:** Oui, encore une fois Elena a prouvé qu'elle était bien utile à nos deux tourtereaux qui, avouons-le, n'arrivent à rien tout seuls xD Effectivement, j'ai fait dire à Mello les mots qu'on aurait tous voulu entendre... Je suis vraiment contente que tu aies aimé la scène des retrouvailles, comme je te l'ai dit, j'ai passé pas mal de temps à l'élaborer et j'avais peur qu'elle ne soit pas assez forte. Et oui, les déclarations de Mello sont toujours un peu violentes mais pas moins touchantes !  
Oui, j'avoue être assez fière de la technique utilisée par Mello pour échapper à la mort, surtout avec l'histoire de la petite amie de Matt (preuve que Matt a une part importante dans cette histoire), je me suis faite rire toute seule xD  
Oui, je voulais montrer pour une fois que Near faisait le premier pas alors que Mello n'arrivait toujours pas à avouer ses sentiments. Mais c'est cette timidité de Mello qui va encore causer des problèmes à nos deux génies dans ce chapitre... Le toucher du visage c'était pour montrer que Near ne savait pas trop quoi faire, il voulait toucher Mello mais il ne savait pas trop comment, je trouvais que ça correspondait bien à son caractère ^^  
Et tu as comme lu dans mes pensées parce que j'avais justement prévu de me placer du point de vue de Near pour écrire ce chapitre, alors tu auras les deux points de vue ;)  
J'espère que ce chapitre te plaira autant que le précédent, j'ai hâte de savoir ce que tu en as pensé !

 **To LottieRaven:** It's me who must thank you for all your compliments! It means a lot to me, believe me. I am really glad that you find that story realistic because I admit it was my top priority when I started writing that story. I am also happy to know that at least someone liked the addition of LxLight, because some people told me on the contrary that they didn't like that idea at all, so I'm glad that you do. I found that part of the story very interesting to write, but I'm afraid most of the readers don't agree... I'm glad that you like my character, Elena cabestan, but I assure you she was not inspired by your sister because I don't know her xD  
And don't worry, the Bells Ringer Case is coming soon. Even though Mello and Near are now reunited, all the mysteries haven't been solved... Among them the one million dollar question: why does Elena hate L? Well, you will soon find out... ;)  
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I hope this chapter will please you! Please tell me what you think about it!

* * *

 _ **New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 22: Say The Words**

''I am falling _for_ you.''

Three pair of eyes were fixed on the glowing screens of the surveillance room. Anthony Rester and Stephen Gevanni gaped in shock, while Hal Lidner let a small smile grace her thin lips.

''Hm... Interesting.'' A discrete mutter came from her left, causing Lidner to turn her head sideways.

''What is so interesting?'' She asked conversationally, blue eyes casting on a golden-haired woman who, much to her surprise, was not smiling _at all_.

''I wasn't expecting L to give up first, actually.'' Elena Cabestan answered, her gaze still glued to the screens that displayed the surveillance camera images, displaying two men kneeling in front of each other, as if frozen in place and time.

''Really? You thought that Mello would be the one to confess his feelings first?''

''Yes, that was a little more predictable. But it seems we can never know with these two...'' She sighed as she leant back against her seat, closing her eyes. ''That's why we need to be wary. It's far from over, believe me.''

The blonde agent quirked an eyebrow as she noticed the slight frown that distorted the lawyer's features.

''What do you mean?''

''If I learnt anything from the time I spent with both L and Kira, it'd be that geniuses truly are handicapped when it comes to feelings. And if what we just witnessed between Near and Mello is rather encouraging, we mustn't take this progress for granted.''

Her brown eyes fluttered open as she looked up at Hal.

''Since we're dealing with the most stubborn boys I've ever met in my whole life, I would expect it to be like _one step forward and two steps back._ '' She added darkly, gleaming hazel eyes meeting bright blue. ''If you ask me, it's been a bit _too_ easy...''

* * *

''Near, I...'' Mello's voice was hoarse and broken, his breath slightly ragged and uneven as he seemed to be at loss of words, completely caught off guard by the detective's confession.

To say the least, he looked quite uncertain and embarrassed as his blue eyes refused to meet Near's dark ones. He just stayed there motionless, slightly trembling, as if afraid to bend towards the white-haired boy, as if in fear that he would scare the innocent young man, or perhaps himself. Eventually, he brought Near's hand to his lips and pressed a kiss on the lean, pale knuckles.

''Dammit, Near.'' He growled quietly, his voice shaking as his gaze fell downwards. ''How can you say that so neutrally? Why can't you _show_ me how you feel?''

Near tilted his head to the side, raising a confused brow.

 _Because I cannot. I don't know how._ He wanted to tell the blonde man, but the words wouldn't leave his mouth. Obsidian orbs locked with blue as harsh, ruthless words escaped from him.

''I thought I had made myself clear enough with this little scene I welcomed you with.'' He said emotionlessly as he stared at all the scattered dominos lying on the floor.

Mello's eyebrows furrowed lightly as he followed Near's gaze. ''What...?''

''Think, Mello. All the dominos, one by one, falling for _M_.'' Black eyes looked up to observe the blonde man who was glaring at the toys, deep in thought. Near watched Mello as his eyes slowly widened in realization, then went back to him.

''I see. Always speaking through metaphors, aren't we?'' The blonde chuckled bitterly as he let go of Near's hand, which fell to the ground limply. All of a sudden, Mello straightened up abruptly and stood, his blue eyes glaring daggers at him.

A cold shudder crossed Near's body as he felt unusually cold. He bent a knee, bringing his leg up against his chest.

 _Why is it that it is so cold in here? I believe I told Rester to turn up the heat as the outside temperature had been diminishing drastically as of late..._

''You can't always use your toys to express your feelings, Near.'' Mello stated sharply, and his eyes seemed to have turned into ice. ''Some feelings need to be shown by actions, 'cause nothing else can express it.''

 _I don't understand. I thought I had made my feelings quite apparent... But I suppose it was still not enough._ The white-haired boy lowered his head.

''For Hell's sake, Near!'' He didn't even flinch as Mello howled right above him. ''I'm tired of always taking the first step! Think a little! Who came to greet you on your first day at Wammy's? Who came to talk to you when you were alone in the playroom? Who came to your room to give you back the toy you'd forgotten? Who came to tell you Roger was summoning us to talk about L? Who gave up on everything so _you_ could become the new L? Who came to visit you at the SPK Headquarters? Who gave you the information you lacked about the Death Note? Who made the only move that could put Kira down? Who sacrificed themselves so you could live and win? Who tried to get your attention through those fucking children's murders? Who did the first call? Who just came back to you? Who made the first move not a few minutes ago?!''

Mello's voice was rough, throaty, cracking more and more as he kept shouting, screaming at the younger boy who simply remained crouched on the ground as immobile, as silent as a dead corpse. The blonde's features twisted into the worst of cringes, his jaw clenched, his brows wrinkled, and his cheeks flushed with mad fury. For a few seconds, he looked as if he was going to launch at the small figure in front of him, but at the last minute, he turned away and kicked the dominos that surrounded him with all his desperate strength.

''It was me! Me, me, and me again!'' He roared, pulling at his already disheveled hair as he stood there, his back still turned to Near. ''And you, what did _you_ do?'' He turned around violently, facing the world's greatest detective, pointing a finger at him. ''You just left some fucking toys in your tracks, waiting for me to pick them up, filling me with some enigmatic speech in some coded language I ought to solve if I ever wanted to get to you!''

Finally, this caused the white-clad man to raise his head, black bottomless orbs boring into blue. ''And did Mello not get to me in the end?''

''Y-You—'' Mello's jaw dropped, before he regained some kind of calm and took a deep breath, closing his mouth, shaking his head. ''Yeah, but that's not the point! It's not how it works, Near!''

''Then how does it work?'' Near asked casually, blinking at him innocently. That pure, oblivious behavior had always reached Mello's heart, infuriating and enticing all at once.

''It's— Fuck! I don't know!'' He growled angrily, tearing his gaze off Near. ''It's not _that_ , it's not waiting for the other to come, it's— Argh! I don't bloody know! It's about courage, sacrifice... It's about give-and-take.''

''Give-and-take, you say?'' Near's white brows quirked upwards in genuine interest.

''Yeah, like giving things to the other and taking things in return... Some kind of a mutual exchange, if you want.''

''I see.'' The world's greatest detective replied, his voice empty and cold. ''Well, you surely _took_ a lot of things from me during these last few years...'' He trailed off, a pale hand reaching up to twirl a silver strand of hair around his finger. ''But tell me, Mello...''

Mello eventually resigned himself to lock his gaze into Near's black unreadable eyes.

 _Yes, that's it. Look at me, Mello._

''What did you _give_ me, except from an indescribable feeling of emptiness and a grave to mourn over your senseless, selfish absence?''

The blonde man opened his mouth to speak, but found he had nothing to say.

 _That is what I thought. You play the knowing, expert role..._

 _But in truth, you do not know love any more than I do._

 _Well, dear Mello, it seems we will have to learn together..._

 _Won't we?_

* * *

'' _Et merde. Je m'en doutais._ ''

All the SPM members turned their head towards the french professor in unison as they heard the quiet french mumble.

''Excuse us, Elena,'' Lidner chuckled as she leant towards the criminologist, speaking in her ear, her voice smooth and alluring. ''What were you saying?''

''Ah!'' Cabestan startled, then shooting a reproachful glance at the platine blonde woman, she muttered. ''Sorry. I just said 'Fuck, I knew it.' That's all.''

''Yes, I know you were expecting it.'' Hal sighed as she settled back on her seat, right next to Elena's, focusing back on the surveillance images. ''Even though I trust you, I admit I wished you were wrong for once.''

''Oh, believe me,'' the other woman's laughed mirthlessly, ''I wish I were too. But the problem is: they're both right. I mean, Mello did all the moves towards Near, that's true. But he didn't realize that by doing so, he hurt him to no repair. Of course the only way to catch Kira was to kidnap Takada and risk his life, but what he forgot is that maybe Near'd have preferred him staying alive, even if that meant never catching Kira... Ah!'' She groaned, nuzzling her head in her palms. ''This is too complicated, even for me.''

''Oh, come now, Elena.'' Lidner sneered, nudging her on the waist teasingly. ''I am sure you can figure this out.''

''Unfortunately, no.'' The curled-haired woman retorted bitterly as she looked up at her from her hands. ''I didn't lock them up in that room so they could learn how to make cookies together. I locked them up together so they can solve their issue once and for all. But this time, they'll have to do that on their own, without my help.''

''But you can help them from here, can't you?''

''If I could, believe me, Hal, I would.'' The french woman shook her head, then glanced up at the former CIA agent.

''But for what they have to do, I am of no help.''

''And...'' Lidner's brows furrowed. ''What do they have to do exactly?''

A tiny melancholic smile crept on the red full lips of the woman as she bent forward, brushing her hand against the older woman's cheek.

''Just like you, _darling_ ,'' she whispered in her ear, her voice but a bare murmur, almost a purr, ''all they have to do is...'' She interrupted herself as she pressed her lips against Hal's cheekbone.

'' _Give in_.''

* * *

Mello stood there, frozen in place, staring at Near awestruck. Soon enough, he inhaled sharply before he lowered his gaze, shaking his head lightly.

''I told you already.'' He said quietly, not quite meeting the other boy's gaze yet. ''I had no choice. I had to save your life.''

''Yes, I am aware of that.'' Came Near's deadpan voice. ''But once you achieved that by deceiving Kiyomi Takada's plan, why keep on with this mascarade? You could simply have returned to the living world and explained all of your whereabouts. But instead, you chose to fake your own death. You chose to hide, you chose to lie. Why is that, Mello?''

''I told you!'' The blonde snapped as his head tilted upwards, electrifying blue meeting hypnotizing black. ''I thought you didn't care! I thought you'd be better off without me around! So I'd figured I'd just leave you be!''

''Well, I must tell you that you were wrong. _Utterly_ wrong.'' Near glanced up at the mafioso as he spoke ever so slowly.

''Y-Yeah... I know! I just— Pfft!'' He puffed, raising a hand at his forehead, before he locked his gaze into Near's firmly. ''Truth is, I thought maybe if I'd disappear from your life, then you'd realized I wasn't nothing, that I actually meant something to you...''

''You were never nothing to me, Mello.'' The world's greatest detective answered dully. ''I thought you would understand it by visiting your own grave once in a while.''

''I did.'' Mello put his head down, not able to bare Near's scrutinizing look anymore. ''I thought you were just doing that to keep up appearances. But...thanks. I mean, for the flowers and chocolate. I was really... _moved_.''

''You are very welcome.''

Mello nodded in silence, his head hanging downwards as Near observed him carefully, tilting his head to the side, one hand reaching up to swirl a snow-white strand of hair. An uncomfortable silence settled between the two geniuses. After a while, Mello huffed and walked towards the detective, digging his hand into his coat, pulling out a black tiny item.

''There. It's the last thing I've got to give back to you.'' He stretched a hand, his fingers curled around a small chess piece.

 _The White Queen._ Near thought for himself.

 _Thank you, Mello. But are you aware that I do not need it anymore?_

The blonde passed by him and headed towards the computer desk where he spotted an uncompleted chess board. Smirking, he looked at the White King that had been cornered by the dark pieces. Then he placed the White Queen, right in between the white and black pieces.

''You just got your White Queen back, Near. Happy?'' He sneered as he turned around to glance at the white-dressed boy that showed his back to him.

''Not particularly.'' He answered neutrally. Mello frowned slightly as he stepped towards the younger boy, stopping right behind him. ''Surely Mello knows that the purpose of the game does not consist in possessing the Queen but rather in pinning the adversary's _King_ down.'' Near added quietly.

Mello blinked in astonishment, mouth agape as he sank in the meaning those words truly held. Then, gathering his courage, he got around the albino's frail body and stood right in front of him, blue eyes glaring down at the small white frame.

''Talking in riddles again, aren't we?'' The blonde growled bitterly. ''I thought I told you to quit the game already.''

The new L stared up at his former rival blankly.

 _Quit the game...?_

 _Why would I do that?_

 _Is it not what life is all about? Yes, I know it is._

 _Life is a game._

 _If we stop playing, we are out._

''But if we quit playing, what is left then?'' He inquired, quirking an eyebrow, dark eyes twinkling with curiosity.

''Truth.'' At his greatest surprise, Mello's answer was immediate, sharp, decisive.

''But the question is...'' The older of the two trailed off as he bent down on his knees, leveling himself with Near. He slid a thin finger under the boy's thin, forcing his head to draw closer to his own.

''Are you ready to face it?''

* * *

''Hm... That doesn't sound too good.''

A blonde head turned towards a golden-haired woman whose face was distorted into a disgruntled wince.

''Why do you say that?'' Hal Lidner asked, raising an eyebrow. ''On the contrary, it would seem Mello is trying to get Near to admit his feelings. Isn't it what we were waiting for?''

''Of course it is!'' The french lawyer scoffed without bothering to glance at the SPM agent. ''L may be aware of his feelings for Mello since he confessed to you. But the problem is, he clearly isn't ready to let the mask fall and say the words Mello craves to hear from his mouth. His reticence will only fuel Mello's frustration, and that, _my dear_ ,'' she finally sneaked a rather insistent peek at the blonde woman, ''is no good for us.''

''I see.'' Hal nodded solemnly as she reported her attention to the surveillance images that displayed once again two very close men kneeling in front of each other, just like an immortal picture. ''It seems our job is far from over, after all.''

''No, Hal.'' Elena shook her head pitifully. ''Our job _is_ done. Now all we have to do is make sure they fulfill theirs.''

''Uh, Cabestan?'' The latter spun her chair around to face a slightly confused Gevanni.

''What is it, Gevanni?''

''I'm sorry but I'm afraid I don't understand.'' He said, arching a quizzical eyebrow. ''Why are we all here, watching them, if we can't help them?''

''Because like I said, my dear Gevanni,'' Cabestan sighed deeply, massaging her temples in weariness, ''we have to make sure those two stubborn children will say the words they must before they kill each other.''

''What words?'' Lidner interrupted her, frowning in confusion. Elena turned her head towards the blonde, a charming, meaningful smile gracing her red full lips.

''Well, the words everyone is dying to hear, _darling_.'' She purred, dark brown eyes boring into blue, and Hal found herself swallowed into those two glowing orbs.

" _I love you_." A whispering, alluring chant escaped the sinful red lips, however as it reached Lidner's ears, it sounded more like a curse.

* * *

''I am not so sure...'' Near's voice made itself heard, quieter, softer than usual.

 _I do not know what you are expecting from me, Mello._

 _What am I supposed to answer? What do you want me to say?_

 _What do you want?_

The young detective was lost in thoughts. He knew Mello was expecting him to express his feelings. He knew he wanted him to word it clearly, unequivocally, without any ambiguity whatsoever. It might have been deadly simple for any other human being, but the truth was, for Near, it was equal to split his body in half, cutting his chest open, ripping his heart out and letting it fall at Mello's feet. And if he was quite honest with himself, he truly had no clue as to how to do that.

Eventually, Mello seemed to lose all his patience as he huffed, pushing Near's chin away with a light kick of his fingers. Without further warning, he rose to his feet and knocked the dominos tower down, reducing Near's efforts at stacking to naught.

''You've always been a coward, Near.'' He spat, disdain and disappointment poisoning his voice as he glared down at the white-haired boy.

''You'll never be able to open up your heart. You'll never express your feelings, not even if I beg you. You may not be an emotionless robot, but you surely act like one. So what's the point, hm?'' He asked rhetorically, his blue eyes gleaming with a strange, gloomy spark. ''What's the point in me trying to reach to you? You're untouchable, Near. You'll never change.''

Ever so slowly, the world's greatest detective raised his head, causing dark empty eyes to meet icy blue. His wide, innocent eyes locked with Mello's passionate ones, proving once again just how different, how opposite, yet complementary they were.

 _I suppose you are right, Mello._

 _But perhaps, if I simply tried to change..._

 _Yes. Perhaps, for you..._

 _For you, Mello, I would change._

Mello's hands fell down to rest on his hips as he stared expectantly at the younger boy, as if waiting for the fateful words to finally come out of his mouth. But as nothing slipped out of the pale lips, he shook his head, sighing loudly.

''I'm so fucking stupid. Coming here, thinking you'd just give up on your pride and express your feelings to me.'' He laughed joylessly, his gaze lowering to the floor as his voice went lower. ''Cabestan said all I had to do was come to you and make it work but...I can't do it alone. If you don't reciprocate my actions, what can I possibly do, uh?'' He spread his arms in frustration.

''Dammit, Near! What can I possibly do for you to finally let your walls down?!'' He shouted at him.

Near was caught off guard by such violence after all this time trying to conceal and shut down all the rage and fury that had always been the cement of their relationship. The white-dressed man flinched ever so slightly as he peered at the boiling Mello in front of him.

He froze as he finally became aware of the most surprising, unexpected sight he had ever witnessed. The contours of Mello's eyes were wetted. Tiny, translucent tear drops were gradually forming at the corners of his eyes.

Without thinking, Near opened his mouth to talk, speak to him, say something, anything, but no sound came out of his mouth.

 _Mello..._

Finally, he knew. He had to do something. Something to tell him he understood. Deadly slowly, he stretched a hand towards his former nemesis...

But it was too late.

As his hand reached out for Mello, the latter had put his head down, causing blonde bangs to cover his face. Mello wiped his cheeks with a swift, flustered move of the back of his hand as he turned on his heels promptly.

''Fuck you, Near!'' He snapped, his voice wavering with both rage and despair. ''I should never have listened to that bitch! I should've stayed away from you! I should've stayed _dead_! Dammit! Why did I have to go back to you?!'' He fisted his hands into his hair, still turning his back on a dumbfounded Near.

''Cabestan was wrong! I was wrong! Fuck!'' He turned around sharply, his red, glossy eyes finally setting on Near. ''It was so fucking easy hating you! But no, you couldn't just let me hate you, uh?'' He yelled madly, his voice cracking. ''Of course not! That was too easy! No, that was not enough!'' He scoffed, slowly regaining a bit of his composure.

''You had to make me love you!'' He wailed, pointing a hateful, accusing finger at the motionless figure crouched on the ground, blue eyes locking with black. ''You're so fucking cruel, Near.''

This time, the world's greatest detective could do nothing but stare at the blonde in pure shock. His obsidian orbs threatened to pop out of his head.

 _Mello..._

 _No._

 _I cannot believe it._

 _You did it._

 _You said the words._

 _But...what should I do now?_

 _Do I...Do I have to say it too?_

 _I know I must._

''Mello.'' He managed to utter the words out of his immobile, petrified body. Mello glanced down at him, brows furrowed in distrust and expectation, waiting for him to finally speak his mind.

 _But how?_

 _I do not know._

The blonde man then hid his face into his palms as he drew in a deep breath.

 _Please Mello._

 _Forgive me._

He turned away from him, slowly walking towards the door, not sparing a glance to the small, slouched figure on the floor.

 _Please..._

 _Don't leave me._

''I knew you wouldn't say it.'' He said, his voice cold and blank. ''I'm done with this shit. Goodbye, Near.''

He stopped in front of the sliding doors, frowning slightly as the doors didn't open at his approach. As if to make sure it was not some electronic bug, he took a few steps back then stepped forward once again, though he was still faced by metallic, thick closed doors. He clenched his fists as he spoke without turning around.

''Open the doors, Near. I'm not in the mood for your sick jokes.''

''I apologize but I assure you I have no control over such mechanisms.'' Near replied dryly as his voice seemed to be operational again. ''It can only be monitored from the control room. If we cannot exit the room to go fix this regrettable issue, I am afraid we are doomed to stay trapped in here.''

''Wait. You're telling me you're not the one who blocked the doors?''

''Indeed, I cannot block the doors from where I stand.''

''Fuck.'' The mafioso roared as he swirled around and threw himself against the doors, hitting it with all his strength. ''Dammit!'' He hissed as he rubbed his sore shoulder. ''I don't know what's wrong with those fucking doors, but I swear, if someone—'' He cut himself off, his eyes widening in understanding. He moved away from the sliding doors and looked around, checking the surroundings from the entry to the ceiling, from the floor covered with fallen dominos to the desks scattered all around the room.

''No. I can't believe it.'' He growled between gritted teeth.

''Unfortunately, I am afraid it is the case.'' Came Near's calm voice, confirming his theory.

Mello took a deep breath and glanced up at a tiny red twinkling light which indicated the presence of a camera. ''You're thinking what I'm thinking?''

''Yes.'' The young detective suppressed a sigh. ''It would seem that Miss—''

But he never got the chance to finish his sentence as a wild, deafening howl resounded in the whole building.

''CABESTAN!''

* * *

In the monitoring room, two stories higher, a wholehearted, yet vicious chuckle echoed in the dark, earning its source a few baffled looks.

''I really don't understand your sense of humor, Cabestan.'' Gevanni said matter-of-factly. '' _That_ ,'' he gestured towards the screens who showed a very peeved blonde man who was still shouting at the cameras, ''is no good news for you.''

In response, Elena Cabestan only laughed harder. Hal Lidner shot her a bewildered glance.

''I admit I don't quite understand your behavior, Elena.'' The agent stated coolly. ''Angering Mello certainly is the last thing we want to do as we both know he can act rather rashly when he is pissed off.''

''You really don't understand a thing, now do you?'' The criminologist spun her chair around to face the three skeptic SPM agents, red lips curving into an amused smirk.

''No, we don't.'' Rester intervened, his voice as sharp as a knife as he took a step closer. ''Now will you please cease to make fun of us and explain what all this masquerade is about? I must say my patience is seriously running out, and I won't repeat myself. Now answer, Cabestan.''

''Wow.'' The golden-haired woman placed a hand above her mouth in a parodic gesture of shock. ''What a naughty man we have here...'' She was interrupted by Lidner's warning hand on her forearm. ''Alright!'' She sighed, finally giving up the act. ''No need to be so rude, though. Just remember that without me, you'd still all be stuck with a very frustrated tyrant of a boss. So please show some gratitude.''

''Cabestan...'' Rester mumbled menacingly under his breath.

''Ah, you're no fun!'' She raised a hand to her forehead in exasperation. Then, tilting her head up to meet Lidner's focused gaze, she finally spoke.

''Anyway, you're wrong. Actually, Mello getting pissed truly is the best thing that could happen to us.''

As she crossed three pairs of infuriated eyes, she pursed her lips in a pout. ''Let me explain, will you? In fact, to be more precise, Mello getting pissed _at me_ is the best thing that could happen.'' She emphasized those two words as she met Hal's gleaming blue eyes which showed exactly what she wanted to see. The lawyer smiled slyly as the former CIA agent gasped in recognition.

''Of course!'' Lidner exclaimed as she rose from her seat. ''You locked them up in this room not only to prevent them from running away from each other! You locked them up also to isolate them from the rest of the world, to isolate them from us. So that when they will discover the trickery, all their anger and frustration would be misplaced and directed towards the person who dared locking them up together: _you_.'' The blonde rotated on her heels, stopping in front of the curled-haired woman who was watching her in pure satisfaction.

''Very well, _Hal_. But please,'' she invited her with a wave of her hand, ''continue.''

''That was the point. You killed two birds with one stone!'' Lidner headed towards the other woman's chair with firm steps. ''First of all, you forced them to stay together, learn to bear each other's company and sort out their issue in a confined environment. And second of all, you managed to turn the hatred they feel towards each other to you so that they can put their disagreements aside and team up against you.'' The SPM member stood right before the criminologist's seat, glaring down at her with ardent blue eyes. ''To sum up, you played villain so the heroes would get together to outwit you.''

Lidner crossed her arms above her chest, quirking an eyebrow. The red full lips curled up into the most smug, seductive smile as amber eyes pierced into blue.

''Congratulations, _darling_.'' Elena answered smoothly as she clapped her hands together, without averting her gaze. ''You broke through my most secret plan.''

''Very well.'' The blonde scoffed. ''It seems I am getting used to your twisted plans, Elena. But what I am not so sure of is, will it work? You know it didn't work after L's death, it didn't work during the Kira Case, so why would it work out now, against you, whereas you're not even a true opponent?''

''Me? Not a true opponent?'' Cabestan echoed her words sarcastically. ''Well, I guess you'll soon change your mind...'' She added mysteriously as she rolled her chair back towards the computer desk. ''But to answer you, _Hal_ , it simply didn't work because no one ever dared to lock those two little monsters in the same room and see what would come out of it. After L's death, during the Kira Case, they had the opportunity to turn their back on each other, to run away... So that's what they did. But now, they're trapped together in this grand room, full of desks, data and computers. Surely after a while spent arguing and yelling at each other about their misfortune, they'll calm down and find a use to all the material at their disposal, right?''

Elena Cabestan cocked her head to the side, causing her determined gaze to meet Lidner's.

''I see.'' The blonde nodded in acknowledgment. ''Locking them up into the working room was part of your plan as well. The core, even so. By trapping them here, you gave them the means to investigate...to investigate _you_.''

''Your intelligence will never cease to impress me, Hal.''

''Your madness will never cease to impress me, Elena.'' Lidner fought back, a tiny smirk dancing across her thin lips as she spotted the same pleased smile on the french woman's lips.

She took a step forward, resting her hands on each side of the lawyer's back seat. ''And I suppose you expect them to realize what it feels to finally get along and work side by side... So that they will end up confessing their love to each other.''

''Exactly.''

''But I thought you didn't want your dark little secrets to be discovered?'' Lidner leaned in to whisper in the woman's ear.

''Like I said...'' Elena replied quietly as she clasped her hands together on her lap. ''I will bring Mello and Near together, no matter the cost.''

''Even at the price of your own private life and pride?'' Hal slid a hand on the curled-haired woman's shoulder.

''Yes.'' Elena leant against the gentle touch at the blonde's greatest surprise. Then she seemed to get back to her senses as she turned her head to look at her.

''That's why I am _not_ letting them out until they say the words.'' She declared fiercely.

 _And what about you, Elena?_

 _Will you ever say those words to me?_

* * *

"Fuck it, Cabestan! Open those fucking doors!" Mello yelled helplessly at no one in particular, though he was perfectly aware the target of his fury was able to hear him, and that was not to ease his wrath.

"No." Came the definitive answer out of nowhere, causing the two geniuses to search around until their eyes set on the loudspeakers near the computers. The lawyer must have established a connection between the investigation room and the control room.

"What do you mean, no? Yes! You're gonna stop this bullshit and unlock the doors! Come on!"

"No."

The blonde barely held back a groan as he whirled around reluctantly.

"Near." He called, his voice slightly soothed. "Tell your employee to stop her insubordination and unlock the doors. You two signed an employment contract, right? She can't disobey her boss."

The white-dressed boy remained silent as a chuckle escaped the loudspeakers. "Of course we do. But you see, my dear kidnaper, this is a bit more complicated than that. L just delegated his authority to me by a verbal declaration that can be attested by witnesses _and_ visual record. So technically speaking, I am the one in charge until further notice. So I don't have to obey his orders."

Near reached down to gather the dominos at his feet, a tiny grin dancing across his pale lips.

 _I knew you would not disappoint me, Miss Cabestan._

"Near. You can put an end to the delegation, so do it and order her to open the doors!" He dared an hopeful glance at his former rival who was still busy tidying up his dominos carpet.

"Yes, he can." Cabestan answered in an obviously satisfied tone. ''But the question is: does he want to?"

"Shut up, you bitch! You're really starting to get on my nerves!" The older man shouted at the loudspeakers, before he took a deep breath and stared at the small silhouette crouched on the ground. "Let him speak. It's his choice, not yours."

As he spoke, he walked back towards Near, staring down at him. "Near, do you want to retake command?"

"No."

Mello just stood there, eyes widened in puzzlement as he stuttered. ''W-What? B-But we...we're trapped—"

"I am very much aware of that, Mello." The world's greatest detective cut him off neutrally as he finally glanced up at his so-called enemy. "Nonetheless, now that you are back, I find myself quite clueless regarding the appropriate course of action to pursue."

"What?" The blonde snorted, folding his arms around his chest. "You're telling me you can't think straight because I'm back? Bullshit."

A feminine voice broke into their conversation, causing both males to look up. "How can he possibly think straight if he's not even straight to begin with?"

"Dammit, Cabestan!" Mello hid his face in his palm. "Will you never shut the hell up?!" Then, focusing his attention back on Near, he asked far more softly. "Near, can't we just destroy those speakers? I'm done hearing her bullshit."

"I understand your feelings. But we cannot do that. No matter how tedious it may be, we must maintain contact with the outside world. And in order to do that, we have no choice but to listen to what Miss Cabestan has to say."

Mello only growled in response. "Whatever you want. But now you're gonna tell me, why can't you think straight now that I'm here?" He bent down a bit to get a better view of the other boy's pale features.

"Because he's so obsessed with you he can't focus on anything that doesn't have blonde hair, blue eyes and black leather." Elena intervened once again, earning a scowl from Mello who clenched his fists in anger. "Now come on, kids! Just get on with it already! I'm getting bored and I don't even have my penal code to keep me occupied!"

Strangely enough, it was not the hot-tempered mafioso who replied to the affront.

"Perhaps Mello was right about getting rid of the loudspeakers, after all." Came L's flat voice as the detective kept his gaze fixed on the floor. "After careful consideration, I also think we should indeed cut off the speakers if we want to enjoy a bit of peace."

The blonde only smirked at the albino as he leant forward. "I understand your feelings.*" He mimicked the other's words. "But we can't do that. Remember what you said about the news of the outside world and all that shit..."

"Alright." The younger boy sighed lightly. "However, I will ask you to stop interfering in our conversations from nom on, Miss Cabestan. I know that as long as I put you in charge, I cannot order you around, that is why I am _requesting_ of you to leave Mello and myself alone. As for the commandement of the SPM headquarters and agents, I give you the freedom to dispose of them as you please."

A silence took over the whole room.

''Fine.'' Cabestan finally spoke in a firm voice. "I didn't do all this for naught, so I'll give you some privacy. That had always been my intention anyway. But before I give you that well-deserved privacy, let me clarify certain points. First, you must know _nothing_ you might say or do will make me open the doors. If you want to beat or kill each other, do it, I will not interfere. Second, you won't get out of this room before you solve _all—_ and I insist on _all—_ your issues. Understood?"

''Perfectly." Near answered emotionlessly without even bothering to raise his head.

"Yes, _mom_." Mello grumbled in annoyance.

"Great. Have a nice week, _children_."

Near looked up in time to see a deep frown distorting Mello's features as a loud crackle echoed in the speakers, indicating that the line had been definitely cut. The blonde then turned towards the snow-haired boy, speaking casually.

"So what, now?"

The detective's lips curved into his famous tiniest of grins as he inquired, his voice smooth and tempting.

"What about a little investigation about a certain case that occurred in Paris, France, 1997..." He paused, drowning in the effect his words ought to produce.

Mello's eyes widened in awe, and Near could almost sense the wonder and excitement seeping from his body, causing his lips to stretch upwards.

 _It is what you wanted, Miss Cabestan? For Mello and I to team up in order to beat you?_

 _Well, be ready, Professor._

 _Because he and I, together..._

 _We are **unstoppable**._

"So what do you say, Mello?"

* * *

"Well, well," the french lawyer yawned as she stretched her arms, "now my work is done." She sighed as she rose from her seat and headed towards the exit.

"Where are you going, Elena?" Lidner arched an eyebrow as she followed suit.

"To my flat." She said blankly without glancing over her shoulder.

"Oh, alright. Uh, Elena...may I—"

"Yes. You seem to have a lot of questions to ask, don't you?" The criminologist cut her off, as if reading her mind. She gestured towards the lift as she got out of the control room. "You can come with me if you want, Hal."

The blonde only nodded as she entered the lift and the pressed the button of the right story. The two women simply stood side by side, staring into space until the elevator doors slid open. They walked in silence in the bright corridor, the former CIA agent right behind the french lawyer. Elena pulled the electronic key out of her blazer pocket and placed it before the captor. She pushed the door open and got in without a look for the other woman, not even checking if she was still on her steps.

Lidner shook her head as she closed the door behind her and stepped in the living room, frowning slightly as she spotted the golden-haired woman in front of the bar, pouring herself a glass of red wine.

"Elena, we need to talk." She began severely. "Perhaps you shouldn't drink that early in the afternoon..."

"On the contrary," Cabestan only laughed bitterly as she made her way towards the red sofa in which she sat neatly, "judging by the serious tone you're using, I think I might need it. Please, sit and tell me what you want to talk about." She motioned towards the black armchair facing her.

"Very well." Lidner complied, crossing one leg over the other, before she gazed up at the younger woman. "I believe we all want to know, what exactly was your intention towards Kiyomi Takada and Light Yagami?"

"Ah, finally." Elena sneered, lifting her chin in defiance as glowing brown eyes locked with cold blue. "I've been dying to hear that question from your mouth, Hal. Jealous, aren't we?" She smirked, tilting her head to the side.

"Don't flatter yourself, Elena." The blonde woman snapped, lips tightening into a scowl. "Answer me."

"Fine. I thought I'd made it clear, but it seems it's not the case." She looked down, sipping on her glass. "When I first met Light Yagami, L was still alive. My goal was then to make them both suffer..." She trailed off as she met Lidner's questioning eyes, before she added hastily. "I had my reasons. Anyway, I knew they were destroying each other as they were both trying to bring the other down, so my intervention was completely useless. I didn't want to help neither of them, so I simply watched as they slowly destroyed each other. Until L died."

Her twinkling eyes cast downwards as she bit on her lower lip. "I admit it, I had not foreseen it." She continued quietly, still not meeting Hal's expectant eyes. "I thought L would fight Kira until the end, but... I underestimated him. He was so attached to Light Yagami that he preferred to let himself die, knowing it would eventually cause Kira's downfall. And he was right!" She clenched her fists as she looked up, her eyes gleaming with a melancholic, heart-wrenching sparkle. "He had always been cruel."

"But then, there was only Kira left." Lidner interrupted her. "You wanted to hurt him, didn't you? So why did you not denounce him? Why did you help him grieve L's death?"

"Well, at first that was my idea, yes." Elena nodded. "That's why I approached Kiyomi Takada, Misa Amane and even Teru Mikami. I soon understood Amane and Mikami didn't have a direct connection to Kira's plans so I focused on Takada. The plan was quite simple: seduce Takada by giving her the passion Light refused to give her, so that would lure her away from Kira and Light would then be on his own. Without his spokesperson, he was powerless, she was the only tie between him and Mikami."

Lidner couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows in confusion. "But Takada was madly in love with Kira. How could you possibly distract her from him? How did you manage to make her love y—"

"Ah, I stop you right away." Elena raised a hand at her, smiling sadly. "Takada _never_ loved me, just like I never loved her. It was all a lie. I knew the only way for her to let her guard down: I had to remind her of Light Yagami. So I did what I must. I mimicked him just so she could find him in me. It was not long until she fell into my trap; she was so desperate to gain his love that she was ready to lose herself into an illusion. She never loved me, she only loved the part of me that reminded her of him. But...my plan failed."

"Really?" Hal quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes, probably one of the biggest fails in my life, actually." She chuckled joylessly. "First, I soon realized Light Yagami was perfectly aware of our little affair, but it didn't affect him in the slightest. He said nothing as he met with Takada only once a week instead of twice. He just gave her more instructions to remedy the scarcity of their meetings, that's all. That's when I saw it. He had lost all his humanity. After L's death, nothing mattered to him but his foolish ideal. He was in love with L and he killed him." She said, her voice suddenly wavering ever so slightly.

"So what was the point in hurting him if he was already dead inside, hm?" She asked rhetorically. "I took pity on him. If only I had known, if only I didn't let my emotions interfere with my job, I would've tried to help him, to help _them_. But I was selfish. I had all the means to prevent their fall, but I didn't move an inch. L and Kira died because of me, Hal." She declared blatantly as she locked gaze with Lidner, before she quickly lowered her head once again.

"So all my act with Takada was vain. But there was the problem: I had somehow grown attached to that woman. I would not call it love, but I felt great respect and compassion for that strong woman who climbed up the ladder and reached the top only to be used by a heartless man who would never love her as she deserved. So I kept on the act, even though it was not an act anymore," she snorted, "and I tried to show her how it felt to be really _loved_. I stopped playing Light's female doppelgänger, and I became Elena Cabestan. But when I started acting as myself, Kiyomi seemed to realize what she was doing, and she rejected me. I knew that temporary distraction wouldn't remain unpunished by Kira, I knew she wasn't going to last long, her chances of survival were close to zero, but... I still wanted to save her."

"As you can see..." Elena Cabestan raised her head, her voice cold and bleak, dark hazel eyes shining. "I failed miserably."

"I see." Hal pursed her lips. "So Takada didn't love you?"

In response, the french woman laughed darkly. "Of course not. She only loved Light Yagami. To her, I was merely a fantasy trapped in an envelope of flesh and blood. Her fantasy of a loving, caring Light, a fantasy she would never get, unless she gave in to me. She couldn't have his heart, so she turned a blind eye to the truth and took my body instead, for that was all she could have. I was nothing but an illusion. Nothing more, nothing less. And when the illusion vanished, she left. She used me, just like I used her. Pathetic, isn't it?"

At the lawyer's greatest surprise, the SPM agent chuckled lightly. "Not really. That is just what humans are made of. Love, lust, lies... Our mere existence revolves around that, doesn't it? And the one who can master those notions to perfection wins. So do not complain, Elena." The blonde said bittersweetly as she stood from her chair and leant towards the curled-haired woman, tilting her chin up with two lean fingers.

"You beat L and Kira. They both died, and it is almost as if you stroke the last blow." Lidner whispered, her breath tickling the younger woman's cheek. "You used Kiyomi Takada. You pushed her over the edge. You played with feelings. You crushed hopes. You seduced, you lied, you cheated. And look at you, now..." She purred, a sickening smile gracing her thin lips as her thumb brushed Elena's lips.

" _You_ survived." Her blue orbs lingered on the red mouth, as if hypnotized by its glow. " _You_ won, Elena."

Cabestan's lips were trembling lightly as she let her eyelids shut.

 _Oh God._ Lidner's breath hitched as she beheld the inviting sight that was offered to her hungry eyes, drawing her closer, closer...

All of a sudden, a death grip encircled her fingers, she lowered her gaze to find one thin hand wrapped around her fingers, raising them to the alluring mouth. Elena opened her eyes, causing mischievous amber eyes to meet clear blue.

"Oh no." The law professor finally spoke, her voice low and hoarse. "Not yet."

Hal gasped as she felt silky lips pressed against her fingers. All trace of hesitation— if there once was any— in Elena's gaze and voice was definitely gone.

"I'll won when you, Hal Lidner— No." The scarlet mouth twitched upwards, murmuring against the fingers in a mesmerizing, compelling caress.

"You, _Halle Bullook_..."

The blonde's breath was caught in her throat as her jaw dropped. Her hand was withdrawn from the sinful lips to better be interlaced with red-varnished fingers. As if that was not enough, she was pulled down by a sharp tug on her tie, her lips stopping only a few inches away from her tormentor's.

"...Will be _mine_."

* * *

*A reference to Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler fans. Hint: takes place in the Campania arc, during the final battle (leave a review if you got it).

 **Author's Note:**

Wow. That was a very long chapter, I'm sorry! I just couldn't bring myself to cut it. Anyway thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

 **Next chapter: Near and Mello teams up to solve the mystery of the Bells Ringer Case.**

I hope everything is now perfectly clear about the **relationship between Elena Cabestan and Kiyomi Takada**. To sum up: Kiyomi didn't love Elena, she just used her to get what she couldn't get from Light. Elena used her to affect Light at first, then she tried to protect her against him, and failed.  
If you still have any questions, feel free to review or PM me.

 **Warning: I will soon enter an exams period, so the next update will have to wait a little. It should come up approximately in two weeks, so please be patient!**

 **Until then, please share your thoughts, leave a review or PM me! You can't imagine how it pleases me, really.**

Bye bye, humans!

 ** _C._**


	23. Silence

**To SadNerd707:** I'm glad you liked chapter 22! As always, thank you for your kind words. Here's chapter 23, I hope you'll like it!

 **To LottieRaven:** Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts, it means a lot to me. I am glad to know you liked the last chapter! Indeed, I feel like Mello and Near can't just kiss and make up, it would be too easy. That's why I'm making you wait, but don't worry it will be worth it, or I hope so. I also am very happy that you ship Hal and Elena because I myself like very much this couple, though I admit it wasn't planned at all when I started writing that story.  
And now that Mello and Near have teamed up against Elena, the investigation is back and you will soon find out what happened during the Bells Ringer Case and why Elena hates L so much. But I'm curious about the theory you came up with, I'd like to know what it is!  
Do not worry about Elena's succeeding in bringing Mello and Near together. Didn't she say she would bring them together no matter the cost? ;) Trust me, she will succeed, but not without a sacrifice...  
Thank you very much for your reviews, I hope you will like that chapter!

 **To** **markem** : Thank you for your review, it's really nice! I am glad you like the psychology of this story, I hope you will like what is to come. Well, if that happened to you and your friend, perhaps you should ask yourself if your friend is only a friend xD Anyway don't worry, Mello and Near are much more than friends, I assure you ;) I hope you will like that chapter, don't hesitate to share your thoughts!

 **To CalypsoDansLaLune:** Encore une fois je me dois de te remercier pour tous tes compliments, tu sais à quel point ça me fait plaisir !  
Par contre de qui tu parles quand tu dis les "stalkers de Elena"? xD  
Je te remercie d'avoir pris le temps de lire et me laisser un commentaire malgré ton travail ! J'étais moi aussi en partiels alors je compatis ! J'espère d'ailleurs que ça s'est bien passé pour toi ;)  
Oui, j'ai effectivement écrit ces derniers chapitres avec l'idée d'un Near complètement perdu et un Mello très frustré, pendant qu'Elena et Lidner désespèrent xD D'où les portes fermées : osé, mais nécessaire ! Bien sûr, nos deux amies ont leurs propres problèmes à régler de leur côté...  
Et je suis ravie que tu apprécies ce que j'ai fait de cette chère Lidner, j'avoue que j'ai toujours eu un faible pour ce personnage et j'avais envie de me pencher un peu sur son cas et essayer de lui donner un rôle plus important ! J'espère avoir atteint mon but.  
J'espère que tu apprécieras ce chapitre, en espérant pouvoir lire tes impressions bientôt ;)  
P.S. Le "Oh ma chèvre" m'a fait rire toute seule pendant 2 bonnes minutes, merci xD

* * *

 _ **New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 23: Silence**

"You wanna solve the Bells Ringer Case?" Mello's thin lips curled up into a smirk as he lifted his chin defiantly.

"Indeed."

"Right, but if even L failed, how the hell are we supposed to succeed?" The blonde asked, perplexed.

"Don't you know, Mello?" The world's greatest detective reached into his oversized shirt, pulling out two finger dolls apparently out of nowhere, one black clad with yellow blonde hair, the other white from head to toe, except from two black pearls enhancing its livid face.

"You and I, together, surpass L." He grinned as he pulled the two dolls on his index and middle fingers, shaking his fingertips back and forth.

"If you say so." The mafioso snorted, although the tiny smile never left his rose lips. "So," he began, his voice more tough as he walked to the computer desks, one hand resting on his hip, "where do we start?"

"Well, first I suggest you read through the data I collected concerning the Bells Ringer Case. Then, if you agree, we will discuss and try to find a lead."

"Okay." Mello glanced above his shoulder, pointing to one of the chairs. "May I?"

"Of course." Came Near's direct answer. "All the equipments and tools present in this room are free for you to use."

The blonde only nodded as he settled down in front of the computer, switching it on. He was then distracted by a faint rustling of fabric, he dared a peek from the corner of his eye. He frowned slightly as he spotted the white-dressed boy rotating on his knees so he was crouching on the floor, now facing Mello.

"After all," Near said, his voice incredibly soft and low, " _we_ are the successors of L."

Mello turned his head back to the computer screen. This time he didn't bother to hide the genuine smile that spread across his lips as he opened a file called "The Bells Ringer Case."

 _Cabestan, you're screwed._

* * *

"Elena..."

 _I know it. She's tricking me. I shouldn't be doing this, but..._

"Yes, _Halle_?" Scarlet lips distorted into a seductive smile as they whispered, tantalizingly close to Lidner's.

"How do you know my real name?" She asked, her voice barely audible.

A deep chuckle sent a a vibration through the blonde's chest as the curled-haired woman bent her head sideways, her breath caressing her sensitive skin.

"Do you really think L's successors are the only ones who investigate people?" A murmur tickled the hollow of her ear as the lawyer leant forward.

 _Oh God, I want her._

"You investigated me?" Hal furrowed her eyebrows as she reached up to grab Elena's collar, holding the other woman against her. "Why?"

"Let's say I've developed an interest in you..." She replied, her voice smooth and tempting as her hand slid up on the agent's cheek. "I have my own informations sources, _darling_."

"It's..." Hal gasped, suddenly finding it hard to breath due to the close proximity of Cabestan's lips hovering above her cheek. "That man... working for the french secret services... The one who also is a permanent member of Interpol... and helped you find Kira's identity... That's him, right?"

In response, red soft lips pressed against her skin, deposing a feather kiss on her cheekbone, causing a delicious shudder to run down her spine. When she opened her eyes— which she didn't remember closing— Elena Cabestan had pulled away, now leaning back against the sofa, her gaze cast on the bay windows behind her.

"You're right. I called Baptiste Langlet to investigate you. Since he's working for the DGSE, it was not hard for him to get through the files classified as State secret. After all, that's what secret agents are made for, aren't they?" Elena raised her head to meet Lidner's unfazed gaze. "Anyway, I discovered you once were working for the CIA. You have very interesting backgrounds, _Halle_."

Hal Lidner sorted her tie around her neck as she straightened back after a long while spent bending over, mesmerized by the other woman's presence. She said nothing as she watched the corner of the criminologist's lips twisting upwards.

"I've always had a soft spot for secret agents, you know?" Elena winked at her provocatively.

"I am glad to know this, Elena." The blonde answered neutrally as she dusted her black suit jacket, turning on her heels and walking to the opposite armchair, sitting in front of the french woman. "But I'm afraid my backgrounds are none of your business."

"I beg to differ." Cabestan waved a red-nailed finger as she leant forward to grab her glass of wine. "I'm not involving myself with someone I know nothing about."

At those words, Hal flinched. "You want to get involved with me?"

While anyone would have shied away from such straightforward question, Elena Cabestan, being the bold and unpredictable woman she was, didn't.

"Maybe. But the question is...do you?" She fought back instantly, glowing brown eyes locking with bright blue as a defiant smile crossed her lips.

"Well, I—" She cut herself off as she realized what she was about to say. She let escape a dry snort, allowing herself to meet the lawyer's laughing eyes.

 _Damn her._

"You're insufferable." Lidner sighed, shaking her head in amusement.

"I plead guilty." Elena smiled wholeheartedly, before she rose from her seat and headed towards the window, stopping right in front of the glass, staring down at the beautiful city that spread below her.

 _Now is the time. I have to know._

Lidner whirled around to observe the other woman. "Can I ask you a question, Elena?"

"Go ahead." She raised her glass to her lips.

"That strong will of yours to bring Mello and Near together..." She trailed off as she stood up, joining the other woman in front of the glass windows. "It's because of your guilt. You let L and Kira destroy each other. You refused to help them. You let them die. And now you are having remorse for what you did, so when Near called for help, you saw this as an opportunity to atone for your sins. A chance at redemption. Am I right?"

"Yes, you are." Cabestan replied mechanically, without looking at her.

 _Yes, that's it, Elena. Talk to me. Confess to me._

"However, I wonder..." She stole a sideway glance at the dark figure who was still drinking on her glass. "What is that awful thing L did to you which lead to such a cruel vengeance, causing the death of two young men?"

"Don't worry, Hal." Elena muttered, her voice suddenly bitter and harsh. "You will soon find out."

"Then why not telling me now?" Hal bent her head to the side, blonde strands brushing against Cabestan's cheek.

"Because I want to enjoy the time I have left, during which you're still oblivious."

"You say that as if knowing your past would change completely the way I see you..." Lidner stated softly. "But that's not true, Elena. Whatever happened, whatever you did, you are still Elena Cabestan."

"I'm very much aware of that." The latter scoffed as she downed her glass in one go. "The problem isn't about me being someone else than Elena Cabestan, Halle. The problem is..." Her voice died in her throat as she turned fully towards the blonde, extending a hand to stroke Lidner's cheek gently. The SPM agent widened her eyes as she noticed the discrete, translucent pearl hanging at the corner of the younger woman's eye.

"...You will soon learn to hate that _Elena Cabestan_."

Without a second thought, Hal reached up to cup Elena's face in her hand, while a lean finger wiped the teardrop away. Then, she wrapped her strong arms around the lawyer's slim frame, trapping her into her embrace, holding her close to her body. She never was the kind to use close physical contact, but right now, right then, with _her_ , it seemed to be the only sensible course of action.

As she rested her hands in the small of Elena's back, she closed her eyes. Yes, she never was one to hug anyone, for she never was one to get attached to anyone. But over the last few weeks, she had broken her own rule. The truth was that she cared for that woman.

And when she sensed two shaking arms curling around her back, a golden head nuzzling, drowning into her neck, and a contented sigh caressing her skin, she understood. Her feelings for that particular person were the only reason why, for the first time in forever, she felt so soothed, at peace, in the arms of another woman.

 _She feels so nice in my arms..._

She couldn't deny it anymore. It was not a game. It was never a game. It was attraction. But she wanted more. She wanted her.

"No." She said quietly. "I could never hate you, Elena. Quite the contrary..."

When the trembling arms tightened their grip on her back and nails dug into the fabric of her jacket, she knew Elena had understood the meaning hiding behind those hesitant words, and she smiled.

 _Whatever you did, whoever you might be, I am afraid I have fallen in love with you, Elena Cabestan._

* * *

"So let's sum all this up." Came Mello's steady voice from the computer desk.

The only sounds that filled the large dark room were clicking noises of fingers on mouse and keyboard and the ticking sound of dominos being stacked one above the other, again and again.

"I am listening." Near answered dully, not averting his gaze from his tower of dominos.

"There were exactly twelve victims. The kidnappings started on January 1997 and ended on December 1997. One victim per month. Nothing in common. The victims were from sixteen to twenty years old. The only noticeable physical traits were brown hair and brown eyes, their skin went from tanned to dark. They were all students, whether in high school or university." Mello paused, leaning back on his wheel chair. He spun around as he pulled out a chocolate bar from his coat pocket, unwrapping it.

"To put it shortly, they didn't have much in common except from being women and living in Paris. The only thing we can note is they weren't blonde nor blue-eyed, and they were relatively pretty." He sighed, bending his upper body forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"That psychopath might have a modus operandi regarding the physics of his targets, but it doesn't seem to be based on objective criteria. Looks like he chose the girls according to his own taste, which seemed to revolve around young Mediterranean-typed women. Apart from that, the classification of the victims based on their appearance is a waste of time."

"I agree." The world's greatest detective nodded as he added a nth domino to his construction. "Nonetheless, I believe there is one element that must catch our attention. The—"

"Last victim, I know." Mello grumbled, biting on his snack.

 _ **Croc.**_

"Precisely. That last victim is quite the mystery. May I ask what is your opinion about this?"

"Well," the blonde shot a glance at his computer, his eyes roaming over the file once again, "there're two very disturbing facts about that last victim. One, she survived. Two, her name wasn't revealed to the public."

"Those two facts are indeed very unsettling. While the killer seemed to be very fond of following his modus operandi to the letter, he completely gave up on it when dealing with the last victim. First of all, he held her prisoner during one entire week instead of one night." He raised a hand to twirl a white strand of hair around his finger. "Second of all, he let her go at the end of the week instead of killing her by pushing her from the top of the bell tower, allowing her to possibly go to the police and denounce him. A rather strange behavior coming from a criminal who never took any reckless risk and made a point of hiding his tracks during his eleven previous murders."

"Hm..." Mello mused aloud as his blue eyes cast upon Near's small white frame on the ground.

 ** _Croc._**

"Though I don't understand. Why keep the surviving victim's identity secret? They should have tracked her down and brought her to court to testify! It was her duty as the only survivor to denounce the criminal and give justice! For all the other victims, and for the whole society too."

"I know." The white-haired boy replied quietly, not meeting his gaze. "But it would seem it was a bit more complicated than that. I have of course no proof of what I am about to claim but I am approximately eighty-three percent sure that the family of the survivor bribed the police into silence. Whether they were very wealthy and used their money to silence the police, or they knew something about the investigation the police didn't want people to know, I am not certain."

"That makes sense. Except for one detail." He waved a finger at the boy.

That caused the young detective to raise his head, blinking black eyes locking with fiery blue.

"What would that be?" He inquired, tilting his head to the side.

 _ **Croc.**_

"L." Mello replied simply. "L would never be bribed into silence, and you know it. So why did he go along with the police and kept quiet about the survivor's name?"

"Ah, I knew you would point this out to try and crush my theory." Near's lips stretched into a tiny smirk. "I have pondered that issue already, and I have come up with only one plausible explanation. Obviously L wasn't blackmailed into silence. I personally believe he had no choice but t—"

"To disobey the government's orders and try to find the surviving victim and serial killer on his own, without any exterior cooperation." Mello finished his sentence, causing the younger male to look up at him, arching a white brow. "Yeah, that's what I thought too." Then, turning his head back to the blinding computer screen. "Fuck, that case is nonsense!"

"Now, let's not exaggerate, will we?" The detective retorted, his voice light and teasing. "This case may appear a bit confusing at first sight, but it is not unsolvable. We can safely assume that the only key to the problem is the last victim. This last woman who somehow managed to escape her tormentor is an exception. And now, we need to ask ourselves one question: what made her so special that the killer forsook his will to kill her?"

"Right, and when we'll understand that, we'll find her and she'll give us the criminal on a silver plate."

 _ **Croc.**_

"Exactly." Near knocked the dominos tower with a flick of his finger, catching Mello's attention.

"Okay. But first, let me do something." The blonde stood up and walked towards the snow-haired boy.

He gathered all the little black dominos, creating a great pile at the detective's feet. He then rose from the ground and headed towards the other side of the investigation room, under Near's curious gaze, until he came back with a large dark sack which he disregarded on the floor. He bent over and started throwing the chips into the sac, handful by handful, until the bag was filled and no more dominos could be seen on the ground.

He took back the bag and returned to the darker corner of the room, putting the sack away in a loud thud, perhaps in a box or in a shelf, Near couldn't say, but he was no less hypnotized by Mello's actions.

No one ever dared to confiscate his toys from him before. _Ever_.

When the blonde came back into view, he raised a chocolate bar to his mouth and bit down on it sharply.

 ** _Croc._**

"That's better." He chewed on his snack as he pulled out a second chocolate bar from his fur coat and handed it to Near. "I'd rather see you eat for the rest of the century rather than see you play with your damn toys for one second longer. Plus I've never seen you eat before, sometimes I wonder how you're still alive." The mafioso snorted as he kneeled in front of the albino boy.

"Mello." He called emotionlessly, dark wondering eyes boring into blue. "What you are doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The blonde scoffed as he grabbed one of Near's pale hands in his. "I'm giving you some of my chocolate." He placed the bar in Near's palm, his fingers curling around the other male's fingers, lingering over the slim knuckles a bit longer than necessary, before he straightened up, glancing down at the crouched figure. "Enjoy, 'cause it's not gonna happen very often."

Black empty eyes watched his every move as he went back to the desk, settling back on the comfortable wheel chair. Then, the obsidian eyes lowered to the dark chocolate bar that lay in his hands, staring at the snack as if it were ambrosia. Ever so slowly, he unpacked it, reached up to his mouth and bit into the bar, cracking it in a loud noise which echoed in the whole room.

 _ **Croc.**_

"Thank you, Mello." Near said quietly, his eyes fixed on the floor. He could feel Mello's eyes on him, but he couldn't quite resolve himself to look up.

"You're welcome." A deep throaty laugh reverberated into his ears. "So? What do we do about the last victim? Dammit! If only we could've access to L's file..."

"Ah, yes, about L's record... It would seem we cannot find the password to open the file, but perhaps finding the Bells Ringer's last victim could fix this problem."

"How's that?" A knitted eyebrow was his only response.

"Well, I believe the last victim, whoever that may be, is the key to find the password. I would say she would be the only one to know it, now that L is no more, and I even think she would be the inspiration of such password since the mystery L was willing to solve involved her directly, and her kidnaper of course. To put it simply, I am certain that if L's intentions were to test us with finding the password, we would pass if we can manage to discover the last victim's identity. That would be the proof that we are worthy of investigating this case, and therefore, with the file at our disposition, we would be able to close the case."

"Hm..." Mello raised a gloved hand to his chin. "So you're saying if we find the last victim, we'll find L's password?"

"Yes, that is what I am saying." Near pressed the chocolate to his mouth.

 ** _Croc._**

"Great!" The blonde threw his arms skywards in a gesture of pure frustration. "So we can't even use L's knowledge to catch the last victim since we need said victim to find the password to open the file. What a fucking paradox."

"Yes, it looks like we will have to count on nothing but our brain cells to solve this case."

"Right." Mello muttered between clenched teeth. "So I guess we'll have to start with the only elements we have, which are the first eleven victims and the murders scenes, meaning all the churches where the corpses were found."

"Very well." Near approved in a deadpan tone. "Mello, would you please be so kind as to remind me all the churches that served as murders scenes?"

"Yeah." The elder of the two turned around and reached up to the computer mouse, scrolling the screen. "So... uh, the names are in French, so..."

 ** _Croc._**

"Do not worry, I will understand."

The blonde whirled around abruptly, blue eyes glaring daggers. "That's not what I meant, you idiot! I know how to speak French, but it's jus—" He cut himself off as he met the detective's impassive gaze. "Yeah, right." He cleared his throat, putting an effort in calming his raising temper. "So, starting from the beginning, there were the _Cathedrale Russe of Paris, Basilique Sainte-Clothilde, Eglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, Eglise Saint-Augustin, Cathedrale Saint-Alexandre-Nevski, Paroisse Saint-Eustache, Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés, La Madeleine_ , _Sainte Chapelle_ and _Basilique du Sacre-Coeur_... And, well, for the last victim, the police never found the church in which she'd been held, since there was no dead body to find."

"Indeed. I can only imagine how infuriating it should have been for the world's greatest detective and the Paris police to be unable to decipher the killer's intentions, to search for him blindly as they rummaged all the Parisian churches in hopes they would find the one in which he kept the twelfth victim, for one entire week, and all of that..." He trailed off, looking up at his new coworker, his voice cool and emotionless, "...in vain."

 ** _Croc._**

"Yeah, that must've been unbearable." His former rival said gloomily as he passed one hand through blonde bangs. "But L must've had some leads, some clues pointing to a church, right? He didn't stay arms crossed, doing nothing in his headquarters during seven days, he must've had at least some ideas..." He rested his knees on his elbows, lowering his gaze to the floor.

"Yes, he did. Would you please read through the rest of the file..." He noticed Mello's nod from the corner of his eyes, and he added promptly, "...Aloud."

"Okay..." His former enemy shot him a quizzical look. "Uh, it's a police report. Some parts have been highlighted. It says "after long discussions with the clergymen, the officers were allowed into the sacred sites. All the churches of the 4th arrondissement of Paris have been searched. Nothing to report, except for one. There were some traces of blood that had been cleansed, the genetic expertise confirms it belongs to the victim. Some white substance was also spotted on the scene, though it was too mixed up with the blood, making it impossible for the forensics to proceed with an analysis, but the experts all agree to qualify this substance as semen, probably the criminal's. All those elements allow us to state the killer has at least brought the victim to—" No I can't believe it!" Mello widened his eyes in shock.

"What is it, Mello?"

"T-The...The church! No, it can't— It can't be a coincidence!"

"What is the church mentioned in the report, Mello?" Near asked, his voice perfectly level.

" _Notre Dame de Paris_."

"Ah." White thin lips curved into an almost invisible smirk as dark chocolate was pressed against them. "There he is."

" _Who_?" The blonde spun his chair around to stare at the snow-haired boy in impatient puzzlement.

"Why, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, of course."

 ** _Croc._**

* * *

Silence.

That was the only stable, sustainable, remarkable element that described the SPM Headquarters at that very instant. Mello was sitting in front of dazzling blank screens, a grim white glow illuminating his features stuck into a focused, alert expression. He had spent the last two hours reading through the victims' data, memorizing all of their whereabouts, their address, their occupation, comparing them to the location of the different churches and the church figures that could be linked to each of them.

Near, on the other hand, was crouched on the floor, his chin resting on one knee pressed to his chest, while a pale index finger was busy twisting white strands of hair thoughtfully. At his feet stood three little figurines. The first one was feminine, brown hair, tanned skin, red dress and black pearls as its eyes. A large X was carved on its chest. The second one had dark disheveled hair, white shirt, blue pants, and black pearls as its eyes as well. A big L was painted on its torso. The last one had a blank face, devoid of any features nor hair, covered only in black, with two huge white letters written on its bust: "BR."

In between, there was silence.

Two geniuses, one case, and silence. That was all there was to it.

The two geniuses needed to be loved, the case needed to be solved, silence needed to be broken.

 _Who will break the silence first, I wonder._ Near thought as he set his gaze on the red clad doll. _The victim, the killer, or the detectives?_

He sneaked a peek at his former nemesis, reveling in his new-found happiness that had been brought back to him lately, along with a certain blonde man's presence.

 _Happiness? Am I happy?_ He cocked his head to the side, still staring at the blonde dressed in back leather.

Mello had disregarded his coat on the chair nearby, so he was now only covered by his sleeveless dark jacket and his also black leather leggings. Of course, his rosary hung onto his neck, resting on his cleavage. Near surprised himself watching the now naked hands hovering above the keyboard at astonishing speed.

 _I never noticed how thin and graceful his hands are before._

He quirked an eyebrow.

 _Surely the thinness of his hands only matches the slimness of his body._

He didn't realize his finger was twirling hair even more fast, almost frenetically as his gaze was fixed on Mello.

 _I wonder if his hair are as smooth as visions would suggest._

Dark piercing eyes dissected the elder's body from head to toe unconsciously.

 _I suppose one could say he is a very beautiful man._

Suddenly, he froze, one hand twisted in his hair, black eyes widening in realization.

 _Beauty? Why did I use such a word? I know nothing about beauty. What is beauty?  
They say it varies depending on the perception. Does my perception lead me to think of Mello as beautiful? Or perhaps I can only consider him as such regarding the prevailing canons of beauty, which are based on obj—_

"Like what you see, Near?" An honeyed voice asked, provocative and alluring as Mello finally turned around and noticed the insistent gaze he was subject to.

"I would suppose so." Came Near's flat answer as he locked his gaze with the blonde's.

This time, it was Mello's turn to freeze in place. His blue eyes grew as big as saucers, and he averted his gaze to the floor.

"Uh... yeah, well..." He stuttered, hiding his face behind blonde bangs, before he coughed awkwardly and stood from his chair, a thick stack of paper in his hands. He then walked towards Near and settled in front of him on the ground, earning an intrigued look from the young detective.

"So," he began as he arranged all the sheets on the floor before him, "I did some research about the first eleven victims, their home address, their acquaintances and the murders scenes. All the victims weren't christian. Some were muslim or jewish, but most of them were atheist. So first, we can conclude the killer didn't choose his victims at the church, during the mass for example. We can easily deduce from the data I've collected that none of those people would be the kind to go to Church."

Near opened his mouth to talk, but was soon interrupted by a raised hand.

"I know what you're gonna ask." Mello stated sharply. "It doesn't tell us how he actually chose them. I know. But look." The blonde placed what looked like a map at Near's feet. Handwriting annotations spanned the slightly crumpled paper. "These are the locations of the churches where the bodies'd been found," he pointed to the different black crosses, "and those are the home locations of the victims." He then pointed to the dark circles.

"I see." The white haired-boy nodded in acknowledgment. "It seems the Bells Ringer chose his victims according to a geographic criteria, after all."

"Yeah. All the victims died in the church closest to their home. In fact, if they were christian, the murder scene would be their parish."

"Interesting." The world's greatest detective mused silently as he resumed whirling silver hair around his finger. "However, that doesn't make those murders religious crimes. For it is far too much personal."

"Of course. This modus operandi can only come from a psychopath, not from some kinda hateful christian."

"I agree with you. Besides, that modus operandi leads us to a very interesting conclusion."

"Yeah. If the church in which the victims'd been found dead were the closest to their home, and since according to the police report the last victim was brought to Notre Dame, then it means tha—"

"The last victim used to live in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, yes." The white clad boy finished his sentence, dark orbs piercing through blue.

"Then all we have to do is look for an abduction alert in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, in December 1997! And we'll find the last victim!" Mello's eyes lightened as he exclaimed, his voice pressing, trembling with impatience.

"No." The younger shook his head, causing the blonde to frown. "I have already done that. I contacted the Criminal Investigation Department charged with all the kidnapping cases. The officer I talked to was not in the police forces in 1997, but he was able to tell me that there was indeed an abduction alert in that area, in that period of time..."

When he met Mello's hopeful gaze, Near only sighed.

"...But it was deleted by the hierarchy."

Mello put his head down, a noise akin to a growl escaping his thin lips.

"When I asked for the motives of such a dubious act, I was answered that, and I quote here, "that abduction alert was no longer relevant since the subject of the kidnapping had been returned to their family safely. Considering the requirements of the right to privacy and data protection, the conservation of this document constituted a disproportionate violation of the right to a dignified and decent life. As a consequence, to ensure the victim's protection and well-being, it was a necessity to delete the disputed document." That's what he found in the deletion act. According to him, the police had the victim's best interests at heart and wanted to prevent them from being targeted once again at any cost. That is, of course, the official explanation." Near added neutrally, though sarcasm could be deciphered in the depths of his low voice.

"But didn't you introduce yourself as L? Surely they couldn't refuse to cooperate with the world's greatest detective, right?" The mafioso asked dryly.

"In fact, they did refuse. They argued that the killings had stopped and the last victim had been released. I could sense that, in their opinion, the case was definitely closed, even though the limitation period have not expired yet." Near objected sternly as he reached down to align all the puppets side by side. "Of course, I tried to lure them into reopening the case, in light of new elements that have yet to be taken into consideration. Unfortunately, they declined. The status of L certainly gives access to many diplomatic advantages, nonetheless, even L cannot go against the government's internal directives."

"I see." Mello mumbled under his breath. "So we can't count on the Paris police. Right." He sighed, resting his face into his palm, before he looked up again to meet Near's unreadable gaze. "So we know the last victim did live in the 4th arrondissement of Paris and was held captive in Notre Dame. And then, what?" He puffed.

"Yes. These informations may be useful, but this is not enough to reach to the last victim."

"What about high school? If she lived in the 4th arrondissement, then she should've gone to high school there."

"I have already checked all the high schools of the 4th arrondissement." The detective replied blankly as he grabbed the red-dressed figure in his slim hand. "None of them reported a week-long absence of one of their female students."

"Hm..." Mello scratched his chin thoughtfully. "If I remember well..." He lowered his gaze to the city map. "Yeah, that's it. Look. The 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 11th and 12th arrondissements are right next to the 4th. Maybe she went to high school in one of those. Did you check all the high schools in that perimeter?"

Near arched an eyebrow as he followed Mello's gaze. "I am afraid I did not. But that is indeed a lead we must not overlook. Could you please check, Mello?"

The blonde only nodded, before he straightened up and directed towards the computer. "I'll do that."

And then, silence took back its rightful place. Mello was focused on his computer screen, and Near on his little homemade dolls which stared back at him lifelessly. During a short instant, the room was filled with the blonde's harsh voice as he talked to several headmasters, but soon enough, he hung up and went back to his researches quietly.

And silence reigned once again.

 _If the girl we are looking for was not in high school, then it can only mean one thing. She was older, probably from eighteen to twenty years old, and went to University, since all the elder victims chosen by the Bells Ringer were students._  
 _Still that would complicate the matter quite drastically, for we do not know what subject she studied. She may have been to a Faculty of Medicine, University of Law, Faculty of Letters, or perhaps a Faculty of Sciences, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Philosophy, Communication... This is far too vague. We need to narrow our researches. But the question is, how?_

Near pondered the issue over and over again, as if repetition was key to solution. But he was soon interrupted by a husky, weary voice.

"That sucks." Mello spun his chair around to peer at him. "None of the high schools around the 4th arrondissement has reported a week-long absence of one of their students, except from a thirteen year-old girl who was in hospital for an appendectomy and a eighteen year-old boy who fled his parents' house to join a gang of drug dealers. The first one was seen by many people, including her teachers, in the hospital and the second one— well," he laughed joylessly, "first, he's a boy, plus he was arrested by the police a few days after, so it doesn't work."

"I see. That was what I dreaded." Near answered casually as he raised the red figurine to his scrutinizing eyes. "The last victim was not a high school student but most probably a university student. Now the problem resides in finding what University she was attending."

"Great." The blonde muttered sarcastically as he massaged his temples. "How are we supposed to guess what University she went to? Students don't go to the college nearest to their home, they go to the one that suits them. Knowing she lived in the 4th arrondissement is completely useless."

"Not necessarily." The white-haired boy reached down for his second doll, the black clad one representing the Bells Ringer. "If the killer was seeking his preys in a close area around predefined churches, but he did not spot them inside the church itself, then he must have seen them somewhere, for the physics of the victims are quite alike. They were not chosen randomly, we can be sure of that. Thus, we can assume he saw them around the church, in the streets, in a park, perhaps even several times, before he decided to target them."

"That's likely. But that doesn't help much, though. We can't just ask all the inhabitants of the 4th arrondissement who lived there in 1997 if they remember seeing a young woman with brown hair et dark eyes near Notre Dame during December 1997. No one would remember such pointless details, especially not fifteen years later."

"Fair enough."

"So..." Mello rose from his seat to join the younger male, getting down on the floor right before him. "We need further information. But, now that I think about it..." He raised a hand to his chin, blonde brows furrowing in deep concentration.

"Yes?" Near looked up, big black orbs focusing on his interlocutor.

"You say the Bells Ringer must have spotted the last victim near the cathedral of Notre Dame, right?" As he received a confirmation nod from the detective, he stretched a hand to take the two dolls from him, putting them on the floor between the two men's bent legs. "So if he saw her there, it means she must pass by the cathedral on a regular basis, you follow me?"

 _Of course I follow you, Mello._

 _To be honest, I believe I would follow you anywhere..._

Or that was what his heart wanted to say, but his mind didn't seem to agree to this. In response, Near only offered him a pointed stare, urging him to keep going.

"Well, that means..." Translating words into action, Mello grabbed the killer's homemade figurine and placed it upon the map, on the dark cross that displayed the cathedral's location. Then he took the red clad doll and disposed it at the North of Notre Dame, across the river, somewhere in the 4th arrondissement, where the victim was supposed to live. "Maybe the cathedral was on her way to her college, obliging her to walk by the cathedral every day. That would explain how the bastard had first noticed her."

Dark endless eyes were glued to the map and the two figurines standing on it, illustrating Mello's theory. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, oddly wavering.

"That is...brilliant."

His former enemy glared at him awestruck, unable to utter a single word.

"And according to this theory," Near went on, tracing the way from the center of the 4th arrondissement, through the l'Île de la Cité— where Notre Dame was situated— and on the other side of the river with a lean finger, "the University she was attending to must be located somewhere around here." He stopped his finger on the South bank of the Seine, right in front of l'Île de la Cité. "In the 5th or 6th arrondissement." He added in a murmur.

"Yeah." Mello agreed, though he seemed a bit uncomfortable as he was fidgeting on the ground. "But that's only a possibility, I mean there's no more than a twenty percent chance tha—"

"Perhaps. But that is our only tangible lead as of now. We will search through the schools and universities that are situated in the 5th and 6th arrondissements. At least, that has narrowed our researches quite a bit, and I fail to see how this could possibly prejudice us."

"Right." The blonde boy propped himself on his knees before he stood up and walked towards the computers. "So, let me see..." He consulted a map on the net. "There are... eight universities in the 5th and 6th arrondissements. I'm gonna call all of them and try to get some informations, but..." He trailed off as he sneaked a glance at the albino.

"Yes, Mello?"

"You know Deans can be very secretive when it comes to internal business, so if I call them like a mere stalker, there's a high probability they'll just turn me down. So uh..." He lowered his gaze, before he added quietly. "I'd need to steal your identity to get informations."

"I believe that we already discussed that matter, Mello." Near answered evenly as a bony finger reached up, whirling snow hair thoroughly. "We both are L's successors, and as such, you deserve that title just as much as I do."

Mello swallowed hardly, not daring to meet dark glimmering eyes. "Okay... Well, I'd better get on with it, then." He muttered hastily as he turned back to the glowing screen.

"Very well. I suggest you ask of course about the unexplained absence of female students in December 1997, but actually that is much more precise than that." As he earned a raised eyebrow from his colleague, he continued. "We know that after her kidnapping, the last victim vanished into thin air. Therefore, we must look for a student who suddenly stopped attending her classes for one entire week in December, and then never came back to University."

"Yeah, I'll ask about that. Surely such a sudden and odd occurence couldn't go unnoticed..."

"I do hope so."

And the mafioso attended to the task, giving dozens of calls, which all ended with a deep, tired sigh, indicating the operation was utterly fruitless. Judging by what he heard from the blonde requests and answers, the world's greatest detective could list all the Universities Mello had called.  
The University Paris Descartes, the Faculty of Medicine as well as the Faculty of Dental Surgery all came up with the same response: some students registered in the enrolled students lists never showed up, but for the rest of them, they started the semester on September and passed their examinations on January, all their absences being occasional and justified. As for the Faculty Pierre et Marie Curie and the University Pantheon-Assas II, they noticed several strange absences of students, but whether it concerned males or it did not happen in December. Either way, it never lasted more then five days without any news nor explanation.

Mello cut off the line with University Paris-Assas, taking a deep breath as he searched for the last number to dial. He paused, his fingers lingering above the keyboard. Both geniuses had waited for that moment, for they both knew the answer would probably come from that very last last University. That was probably the reason why Mello saved that lead for the very end.

Sensing his hesitation, the white-haired boy chose to break the silence, putting both of their thoughts into words.

"This is it, isn't it?" He inquired, voice plain and steady. "The last one."

"Yeah..."

"University of Law Pantheon-Sorbonne I. The University in which Elena Cabestan presented her worldwide famous doctoral thesis about crimes of passion, the dichotomy between hate and love."

"You...You thought about it too, didn't you?" Mello asked almost reluctanty, finally daring a shy look towards his former enemy.

"About Miss Cabestan being directly linked to the last victim? Of course I did. She cannot be the last victim herself for too many data does not coincide with that theory, but I indeed believe she is deeply involved in the Bells Ringer case, as L's record confirmed it. But the only way to be sure of it is to call the Dean, now isn't it?" He tilted his head to the side, dark piercing orbs locking with blue.

"Yeah." Sighing for what felt like the hundredth times this afternoon, the blonde was about to make the call when he was interrupted by Near's sharp tone.

"Put it in loudspeaker. I want to hear the conversation."

"Alright." Mello complied, without bothering to ask why the detective wished to hear that conversation while he didn't care about the previous ones.

After several rings, a fluet, willowy voice answered.

"Allô?"

"Hello, ma'am." Mello spoke firmly, knowing perfectly well his voice was electronically transformed. "This is L."

Silence. Then, a warm cackling.

"Ah, then it seems I'll have to switch to English." The pitched voice answered, a very noticeable french accent tainting her every word. "It's not every day the world's greatest detective pays you a call. So, what can I do for you, L?"

"First, I'd like to make sure. Are you the Dean of the University of Law Paris-Sorbonne I?"

"Yes I am."

Mello shot a sideway glance at his co-worker.

 _Very well._ The new L thought with satisfaction as he nodded to the blonde. _Now is the moment of truth. Go ahead, Mello. I have a feeling all this will be over soon._

"Great. May I ask what is your name?"

"You're the greatest detective in the world and you don't even know my name?" The woman laughed bitterly.

That sarcasm was much too familiar. Mello glared at Near, anxiety and trepidation could be easily read in his icy blue eyes.

"Well, it wasn't written on the Faculty website and your subordinates refused to give it to me. I admit I've been through a lot of distrustful and disdainful behaviors before finally being transferred to your line. So, will you please give me your name and all the informations I need to know?"

"Fine." A light puff. "I guess you knowing my name won't hurt."

Mello spun his chair around, raising his head to allow gleaming blue eyes to meet fierce obsidian orbs, and both of their eyes seemed to shout the same words of victory.

 _I knew it. That Dean is not like any other Dean. She knows something. I knew it. University Paris-Sorbonne was the answer since the beginning. Now is the time we finally learn what Elena Cabestan is hiding._

"I am the Dean of University of Law Pantheon-Sorbonne I since September 2004. I am forty-nine years old. I am a Civil Law Professor specialized in Rights of Women and Children. My doctoral thesis was dealing with the criminalization of rape perpetrated on female minors in European societies."

At those words, L's last successors both froze, their gaze firmly anchored in one another.

 _The criminalization of rape perpetrated on female minors... This cannot be a coincidence._

"Very well." Mello answered quietly, then, his voice slightly shaking, "Now please tell me. What's your name?"

A condescending laugh echoed through the loudspeakers, causing the blonde to hold his breath in expectation. And then, the sentence was pronounced.

"My name is Emilie Lacombe."

Mello's jaw dropped as he lost himself in Near's impenetrable gaze. Their widened eyes collided, displaying all the confusion and stupefaction they were both concealing inside their ignited brains, as a same dreadful thought crossed their minds at the same instant.

 _So there it is. Here is the answer._

 _Emilie Lacombe._

 _Elena Cabestan's first love._

As another wall separating them from the truth, from the french lawyer's darkest secret, finally fell down, they let themselves be absorbed by their worst nemesis and yet their most faithful friend.

 **Silence.**

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

For those who wanted the Bells Ringer Case, there it is! Near and Mello finally work together and Elena's mask is gradually falling down...

I hope you liked that chapter. It was quite long, I apologize. Anyway, thank you for reading!

 **Please share your thoughts, if you have any theories, I'd like to know them!** **And of course, I'd like to have your feedbacks!**

My exams period is over so I'll be able to get back to regular updates, which means one chapter every one or two weeks. I hope I didn't make you wait for too long!

Bye bye, humans!

 _ **C.**_


	24. Esmeralda

**LottieRaven:** I must thank you for all your compliments, it is truly heartwarming. I am really happy you like that story so far, and I hope you will like what is to come. Indeed, Lidner has fallen in love with Elena and you will find out what happens between her and Elena in the next chapter (Chapter 25).  
You're right, Mello and Near are about to discover Elena's deepest secret, but I assure you, she is going to be okay.  
Also, I am glad you like the way I portray Near and Mello, for that's how I imagine them too. Mello is frustrated and Near is completely at loss, I found them adorable that way, don't ask me why xD And you're right again: chocolate is the best proof of love. Ah, we're all waiting for Near to finally express his feelings, but don't worry, he will eventually.  
As for your theories, I must say I found all of them very interesting, especially the one about L kidnapping Elena, I was quite impressed because I never thought about it myself, it was quite brilliant really! And I admit for sometime I was afraid you had all figured it out but... Fortunately, you didn't (you'll understand why I say that when you'll read the next chapter). I hope I'll manage to surprise you because that would be more fun ;) But I'll just tell you this: one of these theories is very close to the truth. I won't say more though :P  
I thank you for your kindness, and really, no need to thank me, for I like replying to your comments! Merry Christmas to you too (I am very late, I am sorry), and I wish you a Happy New Near!

 **Life-Is-Ironic:** First, you don't need to apologize. I know you must be busy, we all are and it's perfectly okay. Again, thank you for your compliments, I am really glad you appreciate the psychology of the characters for that's how I picture them. And thank you, but I am afraid I'm a bit too insane to become a psychologist xD Anyway, I'll hope you'll like that chapter!

 **CalypsoDansLaLune:** Pas besoin de t'excuser, il n'y aucun problème vraiment ! Et oui, c'est vrai qu'avec les caméras, Mello et Near c'est comme s'ils n'étaient pas seuls xD  
Et de rien pour donner du crédit à la France, tu sais c'est mon pays aussi et comme L a travaillé en France en tant que Deneuve, je trouvais que c'était l'occasion ;)  
J'avoue que je n'avais pas trop réfléchi au fait que Mello pourrait parler la bouche pleine, dans ma tête il mange son chocolat, il avale puis il parle mais après chacun imagine ce qu'il souhaite n'est-ce pas ? ^^  
Oui, parfois l'innocence avec laquelle Near répond assez directement, pour moi c'est typique que notre chaton blanc préféré !  
Et effectivement, le "I would follow you anywhere" c'était vraiment la petite phrase d'aveu de Near, et bientôt il sera forcé d'avouer beaucoup plus...  
Pour ce qui est des compétences linguistiques de Mello, j'ai tout simplement pensé qu'en tant que génie, il se doit de parler plusieurs langues, donc je dirais qu'il doit avoir certaines bases en français oui ;)  
Sur ce, je te souhaite de bonnes vacances et une bonne année 2018 ! En espérant que ce chapitre t'aidera à bien commencer l'année ;)

* * *

 _ **New York City M.N. Murder Case**_

 **Chapter 24: Esmeralda**

"Hello?"

The Dean of the University of Law Pantheon-Sorbonne sounded a bit puzzled as she earned no response from the world's greatest detective. Indeed, the two geniuses were pinned to the ground upon hearing the unfortunate and outstanding news. Yet, after a few seconds, Mello seemed to come back down to earth as he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Alright." He said, fighting to hide the trepidation and insecurity that menaced to sip from his voice as he locked eyes with Near. "Well, Miss Lacombe, we have a few questions to ask you."

"I'm listening."

"Did you occupy the place of the Dean in 1997?"

"No, I didn't. I was just a professor of the University at that time."

The blonde boy's lips twisted upwards as he met Near's wondering eyes.

"Right, then you'll be able to answer my following questions. I need to know if the University reported a week-long absence of a female student who was aged from eighteen to twenty years old in December 1997."

"Hm... That's very specific. Please give me a minute, I'll take a look at the University's records."

"Of course."

Mello pulled away from the microphone to look at Near who was staring blankly at the red doll grasped in his pale hand. Slowly, he raised his head, causing black pools to meet twinkling blue. The mafioso only winked at him smugly, and Near could do not nothing but frown quizzically.

"Ah, there it is." Emilie Lacombe interrupted their silent staring contest. "So... A girl from eighteen to twenty years old, absent for one entire week in December 1997... Well, let me see..."

Near and Mello exchanged a tense, eager look before the Dean spoke again, her voice even and cheerful.

"No, there wasn't. I'm sorry."

The two detectives' eyes widened in awe at the exact same time, onyx eyes blinking in bewilderment, clear blue glowing in irritation.

"Wait." Mello uttered huskily. "Are you sure?"

"Hm... Let me check... Well, yes I am."

"That... That's not possible."

"Well," the woman laughed softly, "I assure you, I have the archives of the year 1997 right before me, and it's perfectly clear. No female student from eighteen years old to twenty was absent during one entire week in December 1997. If you give me an email address, I can send you the file if you still don't believe me."

"That won't be necessary." The blonde snapped as his eyes narrowed at the screens, as if he could picture Lacombe's face instead. "Very well. Then I'm done with the questions... _for now_. But I might need your help again, so please be on call."

"Sure. I'm sorry I couldn't help you, L." The light voice said smoothly.

"As I am, Miss Lacombe... As I am." Mello mumbled as if for himself, before he pressed a red knob, ending the call instantly.

He then whirled around on his heels, facing Near who was glaring at the three dolls scattered on the floor in focused silence, before he spoke, his voice cold and distant.

"Miss Emilie Lacombe is lying."

"Obviously." Mello scoffed mirthlessly as he let himself fall on a wheel chair, his eyes still fixed on his rival. "You know," he shook his head slightly, "I kinda forgot about all Cabestan's previous lovers because it'd nothing to do with the case, but I remember something. This one, Emilie Lacombe, was different. The others were all Cabestan's students. But this time, it was the other way around. According to my sources, that woman met Cabestan during her first year at University. Lacombe was her Civil Law teacher, and Cabestan her top best student. Their affair was kept secret, it lasted several months. Though I never knew how nor why it ended, since Cabestan kinda disappeared after her first year, and magically reappeared to present her thesis, four years later."

"Do you suggest that there is no data concerning Miss Elena Cabestan's career from 1998 to 2001?" Near asked, his gaze lowering to the floor.

"Yeah. Strange, isn't it?" Mello muttered under his breath.

"Perhaps she did choose to go and study abroad."

"Without the University knowing?" Thin lips pursed into a skeptic grimace. "I don't think so. I bet it has something to do with the last victim's kidnapping."

"There is no end to speculation." Near replied sternly. "We better focus on proven facts, rather than presumptions."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't help us understand all this crap, anyway. And I'm not even talking about the last victim." He crossed his arms above his well-built chest. "Ah!" He roared, hands balling into fists, "If only Cabestan would come and say what she knows, she'd spare us a great deal!"

"Indeed, but I am afraid we cannot count on Elena Cabestan's good faith in this case— if we can consider she had ever acted in good faith, that is." The snow-haired boy stated emotionlessly as he moved the Bells Ringer doll right next to the last victim figurine. "We are on our own here, Mello."

"Right. Well, at least I have you—" As soon as he realized what words just escaped his lips, Mello widened his eyes in shock, a lean hand reaching up hastily to cover his untrusted mouth.

Appalled, he slowly turned his head sideways to peer at the younger man, and he was stunned to be met by amused dark eyes and livid lips curled up into that famous, irresistible tiny smirk of his.

"Yes, Mello." The new L said quietly, obsidian orbs gleaming with a spark he couldn't quite identify.

"You have me, and I have you."

* * *

"Near!"

A small white head rotated towards the desks lined up below the large, blinding white screens, where a slim blonde man had shouted in a strong, hasty voice.

"What is it, Mello?" A deadpan voice echoed in the dark.

"I just remembered something." Mello stated as he came closer to his former enemy and sat down in front of him. Between them stood the red clad doll representing the still unknown last victim and a black-dressed one personalizing the Bells Ringer. "Back in Wammy's, we had Literature classes and we studied Hugo's Notre Dame de Paris. Don't you remember?"

As the albino slowly raised his head, onyx orbs met questioning blue eyes.

"Of course I do. We did study the work in its entirety in second year in Wammy's House. Now may I ask what is your point, Mello?" He titled his head to the side as his fingers dug into snow-white hair.

"Well," Mello began thoughtfully, scratching his head, "I was just thinking... L had a role when it came to choose the school program, right?" Near only nodded in agreement. "Yeah, so... Of all the masterpieces of Literature he could have picked, why choose Notre Dame de Paris? I mean, surely L didn't choose to teach us Hugo's work by random. I think it's a clue. A clue to the case he never solved. He taught us this piece because he knew it had something to do with the Bells Ringer case and he wanted his successors to have all the means to solve it."

The new L twirled a strand of silver hair around his index finger as his gaze fell on the Bells Ringer figurine. "That is indeed an interesting point, but once again, I am afraid I fail to see the relevance with our current conundrum."

"Well, what I meant to say is, we could find some clues if we try to remember the content of our classes. What we'd been told about the book, its content, its plot, its characters, everything."

"Fair enough." Near answered flatly as he rose on his feet, causing Mello's inquiring eyes to follow his every gesture in dismay. The younger of the two then walked to the far edge of the room, where he could not be seen by the blonde, somewhere near the place the boxes of toys were stowed.

A few seconds later, the white-dressed boy came back from the darkness, one hand intertwined into his hair, the other pressing a large blank folder to his chest. He got back to his previous spot on the ground in silence and settled down right before Mello. He then extended his hand, dropping the folder and all the creased sheets it held at his feet.

"What..." Mello asked, his eyes widening in bewilderment as he looked at the mess that spread on the floor. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I am merely following your advice, Mello." Near retorted, a sly smirk plated on his pale lips. "These are all the material of Literature classes we attended in second year at Wammy's House. Now please," he gestured towards the scattered sheets lying on the cold ground with a stretched hand, "help yourself."

"Okay..." Mello frowned slightly as he reached down, grabbing half of the stack hesitantly and started reading through.

"Very well." Near gathered what was left of the sheets, dark orbs diving into thousand of lines and words, seeking for the lesson that dealt with Notre Dame de Paris.

 _Mello, you never cease to impress me._

 _What a fool I was..._

 _Thinking I could manage to live without you._

 _Yes indeed._

 _What a fool I **am**._

* * *

The two detectives were dissecting the sheets containing Near's notes from Literature classes with screeching eyes, searching desperately for something, anything, that could be linked to Notre Dame de Paris until a low husky voice broke the silence.

"Bloody hell. I found it." Mello put down the sheets on the floor, turning them upside down so the other male could read.

But as Near's dark eyes flew across the lines, the blonde realized he could not read the notes himself anymore. Very slowly, he got on his knees and propped himself right next to the lean white silhouette crouched on the floor. He was now sitting on his feet, right behind Near, and he could now read easily above the slim shoulder.

Near was focused on the notes he remembered writing a long time ago, when he felt a hot, sweet breath tickling his neck. He suppressed a shiver as his empty eyes remained glued to the paper.

 _Why is it that I feel so suddenly hot? I believe I made sure the ambient temperature did not vary in the slightest. That is odd._

Chasing away those insignificant thoughts, the world's greatest detective stopped in his reading, arching an eyebrow.

"There it is." He said, his voice steady and confident. "I remember we did study all the characters very thoroughly. Since we both know the Bells Ringer whether sees himself or is considered by the police as the incarnation of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, I suggest we focus on this character first."

"Yeah, right." Mello's hoarse voice caressed the shallow of his ear, and he felt light goosebumps gradually spreading on his neck. He couldn't hold back the shiver that passed through his shoulders.

"Are you okay, Near? You seem to be, I don't know... elsewhere." Mello's mouth lingered closer and closer to Near's ear, causing him to hunch his shoulders. "Ah, I see. Don't like closeness, uh?" The younger boy lowered his gaze to the ground, refusing to meet Mello's amused eyes. "You're so sensitive, Near." His infuriating colleague chuckled.

"Mello, could you please be so kind as to not blow onto my neck. It is quite... distracting." Near demanded coolly.

 _Distracting?_ The new L froze, wondering to himself. _Why did I use the term distracting?_

 _It is not **distracting**._

 _It is disturbing._

 _Yes, that's it. It is **disturbing**._

"Whatever. What did you find, anyway?" Mello mumbled, leaning in to peer at the notes above Near's shoulder, though he put no effort in pulling away from the snow-haired boy.

"Well, our teacher indeed gave us a very insightful and detailed study of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Quasimodo is his name." Near declared emotionlessly, ignoring Mello's provocative behaviour blatantly. "He is very naive, selfless, and utterly devoted to his job, which consists in ringing the bells of Notre Dame de Paris. In summary, he is simple-minded, but not less passionate. He only swears by his master, the archdeacon Claude Frollo. He does everything he is told, but that is until he meets the sixteen-year-old gypsy called La Esmeralda, who bewitches everyone with her mesmerizing dance in the church parvis. He falls in love with her and tries his very best to protect her from Frollo, finding himself torn between his loyalty towards the archdeacon and his affinity towards the gypsy. After she is publicly hanged, Quasimodo chooses to rest on the rotten body of the young woman until death claims him."

"Wow. What a cheerful story." Mello snorted. "At least, we know what Quasimodo wanted the most."

Near turned his head to sneak a quizzical glance at the blonde above his shoulder.

"Well, it's kinda obvious." His former nemesis shrugged, as if it was mere evidence.

"Esmeralda."

And suddenly, every word, every thought, every idea was put back into place as the final puzzle piece found its rightful place. Near blinked at him once, twice, before obsidian orbs grew wider and wider as understanding struck him full force.

 _What Quasimodo wants the most..._

 _Quasimodo is the Hunchback of Notre Dame._

 _In this case, the Hunchback of Notre Dame is the Bells Ringer._

 _So, in conclusion, what the Bells Ringer wants is—_

"Esmeralda!" Mello exclaimed, clenching his head into his hands, blue eyes widened in realization, proving his train of thoughts had just joined Near's in perfect synchronization.

"Of course! The Bells Ringer is the Hunchback of Notre Dame!" He stood up and started pacing around the white-dressed boy and his sheets. "We finally found the motive for the killings, Near!" The blonde almost shouted as he looked down at Near.

"Yes, it would seem we did." The detective nodded as he began gathering all the notes together. "The Bells Ringer was looking for Esmeralda. However, he killed the first eleven victims. Does that mean he realized they were not the woman he sought? Or perhaps, just like the Gypsy in Hugo's masterpiece, they refused to give in to him, and so, consumed by rage, he murdered them."

"Yeah, but the last victim..." Mello took following of his reasoning, resting his hand on his chin absently. "I don't know if she resisted much longer than the others, or if she finally gave in to him... But in any case, he didn't kill her. Instead he let her go."

"Exactly. That means the Bells Ringer finally succeeded in the mission he entrusted himself with. He found Esmeralda. Therefore, once he got his hands on her, his job was definitely done. That is why he never tried to kidnap any woman ever again."

"So... that means the last victim is in fact..." Mello trailed off, a fair eyebrow furrowed.

"Esmeralda." Near complied, his voice as plain as ever. He stretched a hand, grasping the small red doll in his skinny fingers. "Yes, indeed. And now that we have finally found his motive, it will be far more easy to reach to the last victim. Also, many enigmatic exchanges between Miss Cabestan and L now make perfect sense. For instance, when she met L for the last time, before he left, he asked her in French "how is Esmeralda?" She seemed rather flustered at the moment, nonetheless she answered, "she is fine, thank you." Now that we know all the informations we need, that dialogue only seems logical."

"Yeah, it confirms the theory in which Cabestan is close to the last victim. L was provoking her, reminding her of that poor woman whose life was destroyed only because she didn't accept to co-operate with him. He reminded her of how she failed to help her friend— or whatever Esmeralda was to her, causing her ruin because of her selfishness."

"Yes. L certainly did not feel any guilt concerning the last victim's fate, but he knew all too well Miss Cabestan did. And as he sensed she had the upper hand when she was getting closer to Kira, he turned the tables using the most ruthless, hurting words he could think of, just in order to remind her who really won in the end."

"Hm..." Mello mused aloud as he went to a halt right in front of Near. "Yeah, that sounds exactly like what he'd do. But now, to be serious," he turned towards the detective, staring down at him, "how do we find that last victim?"

"Well." The white-haired boy replied as he pulled out a black pen from his shirt pocket and, raising the red clad doll to his eyes, attended to write on the figurine front.

"How about we stop searching for the last victim..." Then, holding out the doll to Mello, a tiny smile tugged at his livid lips. Frowning in confusion, Mello could decipher a letter on the figurine bust, replacing the X that was there before.

 ** _E_**

Then, in a quiet, silky voice, the world's greatest detective added almost joyfully.

"...And instead we start searching for _Esmeralda_?"

* * *

Elena Cabestan looked at the bay windows, beholding the large, breathtaking view of night slowly falling on New York City, a jet black veil delicately spreading out on the streets and buildings which started to illuminate one by one, like warm lights guiding lost navigators.

She sighed, drenching her lips in red wine. It was eight o'clock in the evening. Hal Lidner— or Halle Bullook as she liked to call her best— had left to go fetch their dinner. She would be back anytime soon by now. Stephen Gevanni and Anthony Rester were still working in the monitoring room while watching on Near and Mello. They called to update her on the progress in the investigation of the two geniuses several times since she had left Headquarters.

They were searching for Esmeralda.

She took another sip of her glass.

They were getting closer and closer.

 _Too close._

She put her glass down on the small table, leaning back on her armchair. She let her eyelids flutter close, red fingernails digging into the dark armrests.

A knock on the door brought her back to her senses. Her eyes shot open and she straightened up on her seat in time to see the blonde SPM agent entering her flat, two doggy bags clinging at her hands.

"I thought Indian food would be to your liking." Hal said smoothly as she placed one bag in front of Elena.

"That's perfect. Thank you, Halle." Cabestan smiled faintly as she bent forward, opening her bag, not meeting Lidner's gaze.

"You're the only one to ever call me by my real name."

That statement caused the golden-haired woman to raise her head from her rice to glance at the blonde.

"Does it bother you?" She inquired, a defiant smile distorting her red lips.

"Strangely enough," Hal smirked in response as she planted her fork in her chicken curry, then looking up, "No, it doesn't."

"Well, then I'm glad. Because I'm not going to stop."

"The opposite would have got me wondering." Lidner chuckled lightly.

The two women ate in silence. Whether it was comfortable or awkward silence, no one could tell. As Elena was wiping her mouth with a paper napkin and Hal emptying their paper plates and gobelets into the trash, the blonde woman spoke out.

"Elena."

"What?"

"I was merely wondering." She said as she turned around, heading towards the black sofa in front of Cabestan, sitting on it unceremoniously. "What Mello and Near just found out about the last victim, her link to the University of Law Paris-Sorbonne, to its Dean, Emilie Lacombe, her nickname, Esmeralda... Is all that true?"

The curled-haired woman stayed quiet as she grabbed her wine glass once again, taking a small sip. Then, she glanced up, hazel eyes meeting icy blue.

"Yes, it is."

"Do you think they will beat L and solve this case?"

A deep, mirthless laugh filled Lidner's ears.

"Of course they will. Like Near already pointed out, he or Mello alone couldn't equal L, but the two of them, _together..._ They surpass him."

"I guess that's right." Hal nodded. "But that case, the Bells Ringer Case... It's the only case L couldn't solve. I admit that killer is some kind of a genius psychopath but nonetheless, L faced Beyond Birthday, Kira and many others just as clever as the Bells Ringer, and he beat them all, suffering no exception. So why didn't he solve the Bells Ringer case?"

"Well, that's a very good question, you see." Elena only shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe the motivation wasn't there like it used to be for the thousands previous cases?"

"Quit playing, Elena." The blonde snapped sharply, blue eyes glowing threateningly. "I am sure you know exactly why L couldn't solve that case. I am also certain that the very reason why he couldn't is none other than _you_."

"What are you talking about, Halle?" Cabestan snorted disdainfully, waving a dismissive hand at her as she shot a sideway glance at the dark wood desk. "How a mere lawyer like me could possibly prevent the world's greatest detective from catching a simple serial killer?"

"That's exactly what I have been asking myself those last few days." Lidner stated icily. "I don't know how you managed to do that, but one thing appears perfectly clear to me. You did, Elena. For the Bells Ringer was never arrested and _Esmeralda_ vanished into thin air. There are very few possibilities, actually. One, you interfered in the investigation— contrary to what you have been telling us so far— and you laid a false trail to fool L, leading him to a fake victim and as a consequence, a fake killer. Two, you helped the last victim to disappear from the earth's surface so she would be freed from the Bells Ringer and would never be forced to testify against him."

Amber eyes still lowered on ebony wood, the criminologist shook her head, before she looked up, allowing her gaze to lock with Hal's once again.

"Do you want a hint, _Halle_?" She asked, a challenging smile gracing scarlet lips.

"Well, I must take the little I'm being offered, now don't I?" Lidner sighed, raising her hand to her temples, resting her elbow on the armrest softly. "Tell me."

"Well... I can only tell you one thing for now." Brown eyes glinted with a chaotic, darkening glow. "Both of your assumptions are false."

"Really?" The former CIA agent could do nothing more than quirk a questioning eyebrow. "Well, that leaves me completely at loss, now doesn't it?" She let out a bitter sneer.

"What a shame."

"Why are you doing this, Elena?" Lidner said suddenly, her voice cold and cutting. "Why hold back the truth? After everything you have been through to bring Mello and Near together... Forgive me, but your behavior doesn't make any sense. You could spare the boys' time and ours quite considerably if you would just speak, and we could all then focus on the actual issue we are all paid for, the New York City M.N. Murder Case. The one case for which Near has called for your much needed help, the one for which you have jeopardized your Professor duties, the one for which you have been kidnapped, the one in which you're involving yourself beyond reason. That case is the reason of your presence here. Not the Bells Ringer case. So tell me, Elena."

She marked a pause as she leant forward, making sure not to avert her eyes from twinkling brown once.

"Why keep your usually oh so taunting mouth shut?"

A sugary satisfied smirk plated itself on Elena Cabestan's lips, before it slowly faded, replaced instead by a melancholic, regretful grimace. Golden curls swirled around high, stony features as the french woman put her glass down.

"Let's say..." Her voice was unusually void and low.

"The last victim and I, we used to be quite _close.._."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Merry Christmas (late) and Happy New Year to you all, little humans!**

That chapter was kind of short, I apologize. I'd planned to post a very long chapter, but I decided to cut it in half so you would be able to read the first part sooner.

Anyway, thank you for reading, I hope you liked it. The Bells Ringer case will soon come to an end, and you'll finally know what really happened.

 **The next chapter will be posted in a few days, for I am almost done writing.**

Until then, **please share your thoughts and leave a review** , I would like that very much!

Bye bye, humans!

 _ **C.**_


	25. Marked

**To SadNerd707 :** Thank you very much for your kind words, it truly means a lot to me. I am glad you liked the scenes between Mello and Near and the way they act around each other, because it's always a bit delicate to write, and I'm really happy you like it! So thank you for sharing your thoughts, and I hope you'll like that chapter.

* * *

 ** _New York City M.N. Murder Case_**

 **Chapter 25: Marked**

"Very well. Thank you, Lidner." Said Gevanni in a clear voice as he pressed the red knob next to the keyboard. Then, turning his head to his co-worker, he nodded solemnly before he pushed another button.

He watched the camera images as he saw Mello raising from his spot on the floor, groaning in displeasure, his black figure heading towards the desk so he could answer the call.

"What?" A growl echoed in the monitoring room.

"Mello, this is Gevanni." The SPM agent declared neutrally. "I just got a call from Lidner, she is with Cabestan at the moment. She is trying to get her to talk. I thought you might want to know what they had been saying."

"Right, so?"

"So we now know for sure, Cabestan was acquainted with the last victim. She admitted to being very close to her."

"Dammit, I knew it!" Mello almost shouted, causing the agent to frown slightly. "Did you hear that, Near? We were right..." He paused, before he grumbled incoherently. "Yeah, I know. But that's— Okay, fine!" Then, he added more firmly, addressing directly to Gevanni. "Thanks. Please keep us updated."

"Very well."

Before he could even reach to the button, the line was cut short, leaving the two eldest SPM members in deep silence, until the elder of the two spoke dimly.

"I never liked that woman." Rester stated severely.

"I assure you we all noticed that, Rester." Gevanni replied evenly, his gaze fixed to the screens hanging at the walls. "You never liked people who dared oppose L even once."

Rester's blonde head snapped towards him so quickly Gevanni thought it would rip off his shoulders. Icy blue eyes pierced through him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said in a rushed voice. Then turning his head back to the screens, "I just can't stand that woman. Arrogant, selfish, indecent... She is..."

"She is a genius, yes."

"...I'm gonna go get some food."

"Very well." Gevanni sighed, reaching down to the computer mouse, zooming on the dolls Near was manipulating.

 _Yes, you are right, Rester. Elena Cabestan is arrogant, selfish, indecent..._

 _But more than anything, she is bewitching._

 _That's what she truly is._

 _If we were back in the seventeenth century, Elena Cabestan would have long been burnt at the stake._

 _For if magic did exist, a **witch** she would be._

* * *

"You told Mello and Near about what I just said, didn't you?"

Hal heard Elena's grim voice when she got back from the bathroom, her lean fingers still wrapped around her cellphone as she entered the living room, where the french woman was standing straight in front of the bay windows, as still as a statue, a wine glass grasped between red-nailed fingers.

"I did." The blonde answered plainly as she slowly made her way towards the other woman. "But you didn't prevent me from doing so, now did you?"

The lawyer laughed dryly. "Do you really think I didn't guess you would go inform them as soon as I was done talking? I am many things, Halle, but I am most certainly not stupid."

The agent arched an eyebrow, slightly baffled, before a tiny chuckle escaped her lips as understanding sank into her brain. "I see. You were expecting me to tell them. In fact, I believe you even told me just so I _would_ tell them. I can't believe it!" She opened her arms, awestruck. "So what, now? You want them to solve this case, whereas you are still withholding the truth? For Heaven's sake, Elena, you are completely illogical."

"Think whatever you want, Halle, it won't change a thing."

"Oh no, you won't have me." Hal clicked her tongue reproachfully. "I am done with your sassiness, Elena. You're not fooling me with that. It doesn't work anymore."

"I was not trying to fool you, Halle. I just said you have the right to—" She interrupted herself as a harsh hand gripped her wrist, pulling on it so that she was compelled to whirl around, her back hitting the glass full force, while red wine was spilled onto the floor as she raised her other hand in an attempt at keeping the liquid away.

"Oh cut it, Miss Mystery!" Lidner spat, bending forward so her chest pressed against Elena's, trapping the criminologist between her toned body and the strong glass of the bay windows. "I thought I would use the easy way to try and get the truth out of you, but it seems you're completely impervious to it! I am done with your rubbish! Now you will speak." As if to emphasize her words, the blonde leant closer, her head hovering a few inches away from Cabestan's, blue eyes anchored into gleaming hazel.

For a moment, a very short, evanescent instant, Hal Lidner really thought the victory was finally hers to take as she was met by a flickering, threatened glow dancing in Elena's eyes... but that was until brown eyes darkened slightly, fear gradually replaced by insufferable defiance. Red scarlet lips twisted into a ruthless smile as they scooted forward mischievously, causing hot breath to fan over the blonde's face.

" _Or what_?" Elena whispered huskily against her lips. A shiver rolled down Hal's spine as she tried to regain her composure, the proud smirk painted on the scarlet lips telling her she had only partially succeeded.

"Or..." Lidner uttered hesitantly, blue eyes unconsciously lowering to the red full lips. Then, taking back control of the situation, she seized both of the younger woman's wrists, pinning them to the glass window. "Or I will rip the truth out of you, and I am afraid it will be far less agreeable for the both of us."

"Oh, Halle..." The curled-haired woman shook her head, still smiling faintly, seeming utterly unfazed by her rather submissive posture. Then, raising her gaze to look straight into Lidner's blinking eyes, "Who told you I was afraid of pain? Actually," she continued, the corner of her lips twitching upwards, "I love pain."

Hal couldn't help but gape in shock, eyebrows furrowing furiously. As she seemed unable to form a single word, Cabestan took the opportunity to confuse her even further.

"You want to hurt me, Halle?" She asked slyly as she tilted her head back, golden curls crashing on glass, shining amber eyes never leaving bewildered blue. "Go ahead. I won't stop you. I have a strange, strong affection for pain, you know? An affliction no psychologist nor psychiatrist could ever explain." As Lidner's eyes widened, growing as big as dessert plates, Elena kept talking, the alluring smile turning into a gloomy, scary grin. "Actually, I long for it, I _crave_ for it. Oh! You can't even imagine." The lawyer laughed mirthlessly. "I must be the only one to have suffered so much... and loved it even more."

"Elena..." Lidner finally managed to speak, though her voice was wavering, her grip around the woman's wrists tightening as if afraid the younger woman would crumble without her support.

"Yes." The latter ignored her calling blatantly as her eyes bore into the blonde's. "Go ahead, Halle. Hurt me. Hurt me, for that's the only thing I deserve."

"E-Elena..." Lidner pleaded, her voice never so weak as she shook her head frantically. "Stop. Please, stop." She rested her forehead against Cabestan's, closing her eyes. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You don't sound very convincing, _darling_." She said darkly. "You hate me just as much as you like me, don't you? Well, that leaves you with one single alternative." Those words forced the agent to look up to meet determined hazel eyes.

"You're right, Halle. I'm acting like an insane little girl. Let's stop lying, let's stop playing. So I will leave you the choice. But first, I must warn you..."

Lidner pulled back only slightly to glare at the criminologist in anticipation.

"No matter what you choose..." A smooth, satisfied smile graced red velvet lips. "You will lose."

Hal pursed her lips in annoyance, then, leaning closer to the tempting woman once again, she rasped, "Very well. Then tell me, Elena. What are my options?"

In response, the lawyer pushed on her still pinned wrists, propping her head forward, approaching her lips closer and closer, then halting in mid air, an inch away from Lidner's, just close enough so when she spoke, the tip of her lower lip brushed against Hal's.

"Kiss me..." She breathed with trembling, bloody lips.

"...Or kill me."

Halle Bullook froze as if struck by lightning. Her breast clenched, her heart thumped loudly, her legs stiffened... And something in her mind broke. Uncontrollable rage boiled inside of her, into her very core, menacing to explode at any time. Suddenly, slim hands withdrew from thin wrists and wrapped against a pale, fragile neck instead, squeezing harder and harder.

 _That damn woman..._

 _That witch..._

 _That demon..._

 _How dare she?_

 _She is luring me, tempting me, playing with me... All of that to push me away in the end!_

 _I never wanted to kill her. That is nonsense. But that was before she brought the idea herself. Just the mere idea of her thinking about it... Thinking that I would actually kill her..._

 _I cannot take it. I cannot stand it._

 _Why?_

 _Why can't she trust me? Why can't she tell me what she really wants? Why can't she tell me that she wants me?_

 _Like I want **her**._

Icy blue was gradually melting, glaze merging into invisible tears in the corner of her eyes. Yet she couldn't hear the desperate, muffled gasps of the woman who was dying in her hands.

 _She is telling me that on purpose._

 _She says the game is over, but she is still playing._

 _She says no more lies, but she is still lying._

 _She is telling me all that just to anger me._

 _And it's working._

Then, everything became crystal clear and fierce fingers slowly loosened around the bruised, constricted neck.

 _Of course. How can I be so blind?_

 _She is testing me._

 _She wants to make sure I can live with her torturous nature. She wants to make sure I can bear the pain she will be inflicting me. She wants to make sure I will be able to defend myself against her cruelty._

 _God damn that woman!_

 _But why can't she see that I don't care?_

 _Why can't she see that I'm worth it?_

 _Why can't she see that I..._

 _I..._

 _I love her._

Taking in a deep breath she was not aware she was holding, Halle Bullook let go of Elena's neck, allowing air to permeate into her lungs again through raged, heavy panting. Loosing herself in the sound of the younger woman's softening breath, Hal let herself fall forward, resting her head against Elena's as her eyes fluttered close.

 _Oh God._

"I thought we had stopped playing, Elena." She whispered painfully while she slid up a hand on the lawyer's neck to caress the damaged skin there. "You know I could never kill you."

"Yes, I know." A throaty chuckle vibrated into the woman's ribcage. Cool fingers buried in platinum blonde strands as Cabestan stroke the agent's hair smoothly, as the other hand reached up to smooth Hal's pale cheek.

"Then it seems you just found the solution to the dilemma." She added, red lips brushing against Lidner's in a feathery touch, barely touching, making her ache for that very non-existent touch.

An act that could no longer be ignored, she thought, and the last remaining self-control Lidner still possessed shattered.

 _Very well. That's enough._

 _You win, Elena._

"Damn you, Elena." She growled, still no trace of hatred was hidden in that hopeless growl, but only hunger.

Hal's thin lips pressed against Elena's, violent, possessive. Lean hands ran down the french woman's body, eventually settling around her waist. She could feel the smirk of red taunting lips into the kiss, and that only unnerved her more. But the mere sensation of Cabestan's silky lips moving against hers, stroking her, devouring her, her arms encircling her neck, drawing her even closer, was far stronger. It was overwhelming.

Lust reigned as absolute master as passion finally rhymed with surrender. And surrender was the only price to pay for the two women to taste the forbidden fruit. So with twisting tongues, clashing teeth, fierce tugs on fabric, greedy nails digging into flesh, frantic fingers snarling locks of hair, they gave in.

But soon, chest against chest, lips against lips, arms rolled up, legs intertwined was not enough.

Ties were ripped off, buttons popped open, shirts slid along milky skin, pants fell to the ground.

Somehow unconsciously, Hal's steady arms surrounded Elena's waist, dragging her across the room, until the lawyer's calves hit the foot of the bed. With a stifled yelp Lidner swallowed easily, Elena tipped back, landing on the bed, the blonde still bound to her body, lips still locked together in a wild dance.

Hands roamed over forbidden places and feral groans turned into pleasured moans.

As a bold hand explored Cabestan's back, nails scratching sensitive skin while teeth bit into naked flesh just above a trembling collarbone, a sharp cry escaped Elena's mouth. Red-varnished hands grabbed Halle's face harshly, pulling her down into a heated, tearing kiss.

Halle smiled against Elena's lips as she almost could see control vanish into thin air, freeing the two women of every ties that used to bind them to sanity.

 _I am probably going insane._ Lidner thought as a shameless mouth lingered on her breast.

 _God damnit, I don't care._ She whined quietly as teeth sank into flesh, and a firm hand fisted into Cabestan's golden hair.

Broken, breathless voices sang together in what could sound like a concert of heart-wrenching choirs whose chorus would be of letting go.

Soon enough indeed, both women, American and French, secret agent and criminologist, Lidner and Cabestan, Halle and Elena, did what they died to do.

They _let go_.

* * *

"Near, you just received an e-mail..." Mello's hesitant voice came from the computer desk.

"Very well. You can open it and tell me what it contains." Near answered blankly as he put the Bells Ringer figurine down.

"Okay."

Unavoidable silence took over the place as the blonde read the mail, frowning slightly.

"Looks like a police report. About the clues found on the bells tower of Notre Dame. But..." He trailed off, shooting an inquisitive glance at the white-haired boy. "But I thought they only found samples of the victim's blood and probably of the killer's semen?"

"That is correct, however the policeman I talked to agreed to bring me in contact with the detective who was in charge of the case in 1997. The chief detective called Paul Bonnard accepted to send me the notes he took during the investigation. His notes include details that are not mentioned in the general police report, for they kept the clues that lead to nothing, whereas I argued that every detail without exception should be pointed out."

"You're right." The mafioso didn't notice the perplexed look he was given as he attended to his task, combing through the detective's notes. "That explains why those notes are handwritten. So..." His voice lowered, then he blurted out, " _Holy fuck_."

"Judging by Mello's sudden change of manner of speaking, I reckon he just found out something worthy of our attention."

"Oh my God." The elder ignored the sarcasm in Near's voice as his mouth hung open in awe. "There was an inscription on the biggest bell of the church— _Le_ _Bourdon,_ that's the bell's name. And it was written... with blood."

"Hm. That is quite curious." Near said bluntly. "Surely such an important clue could not be disregarded by the investigation team, yet there was not a single word about it in the police report we read before. How odd."

"Yeah." His colleague mumbled absently. "The more I think about it, the more it looks like that police investigation was some kind of a joke." He scrolled the screen, then his hand suspended in mid air.

"What is it, Mello?" Near inquired politely, his head cocked to the side as he followed the blonde's movements with piercing dark orbs.

"The message written in blood... It's... It's in English."

"In English?" The world's greatest detective repeated dully, snow brows arching elegantly. "That is only getting odder. What does the inscription say?"

In response, Mello used a thin hand to turn the monitor towards the younger man, then pulled back from the desk, exposing the glowing screen to Near's sight.

Empty black eyes cast on a bleak picture of a giant golden bell soiled with dripping scarlet blood. Near blank eyebrows furrowed deeply as he read through the text.

 _"The holy mark of sin is carved on Her skin,  
_ _For even Hell does not know a Creature akin,  
_ _Fallen angel, Mother of lust and debauchery,  
_ _The damned Gypsy shall be punished for Her treachery."_

"Verses in English." Near mused, livid lips curling up into a tiny smirk. "Fascinating, indeed."

"Fascinating, uh?" Mello snorted dryly. "I'd hardly say that. Though the language information's quite useful."

"What does Mello mean?"

"Dammit, Near. Stop addressing me in the third person, it's annoying." The blonde spat, glaring daggers at the albino. "I mean, a french criminal leaving a message in English doesn't make any sense, right? Unless the message is directed to an English speaker..."

"I see." Near nodded in understanding as his gaze fell on the three dolls, grasping the Bells Ringer in his left hand while he twirled a white lock of hair with his right. "If the killer did want to leave a message to an English speaker whom he knew would read these verses, then it can only mean that this text was directed to L."

"Yeah, and it also means the Bells Ringer knew L wasn't French."

"Indeed. On the other hand, I believe there is another element in that text that must catch our attention." Near declared neutrally, dark eyes raising to meet twinkling blue.

"What's that?" Mello quirked an eyebrow, looking at the picture, then back at Near.

"The capital letters. "Her", "Hell", "Creature", "Mother" and "Gypsy" all start with a capital letter. Even though we can often encounter the word "Gypsy" written with a capital G when used as an ethnic qualification. Of course, in the christian tradition, the word "hell" is sometimes written "Hell" with a capital H also, for it refers to a concept, an ideal of an after-life filled with pain and suffering. But as for the other terms, I admit I do not see the point in using a capi—"

"Of course!" Mello exclaimed as he rushed to his feet, azure eyes gleaming with delight. He walked towards the crouched figure on the ground and planted himself right above Near, looking down at him, fists clenched in determination. "I got it! Like you said, only "Gypsy" and "Hell" can be found with a capital letter. So imagining we could ignore the other words and keep only those two, what would that leave us? Gypsy. Who is the Gypsy in that story?"

"Ah. I see." Near replied emotionlessly as a pale hand stretched, taking hold of the red and black doll. Then, brandishing it at Mello, " _Esmeralda_."

"Exactly. And Hell?"

This time, the snow-haired boy only stared at Mello flatly. "I apologize Mello, but I am afraid I fail to see your point. We both know what Hell is supposed to be, or rather what it is supposed to describe. Hell is not a person, it is a metaphor for all the human flaws and sins, and it really has nothing to do with—"

"No, no." Mello waved a dismissive hand, shaking his head. "You didn't get it, Near. Just look." He turned on his heels, heading back to the desk and pointing at the picture with a lean finger. "We just said the words other than "Hell" and "Gypsy" mustn't be taken into account. So that means the capital H of the word "Her" which is used twice in the text doesn't matter. If the capital H doesn't matter here, then..." The finger moved slightly to the left. "It shouldn't matter for the word "Hell" either. And if we delete the H, what do we have left? " _Ell_." Of course, said like this, it doesn't make any sense, but if you consider the context... Try to think about it, what could "Ell" mean if put differently, or rather... _written_ differently?"

Onyx orbs blinked at him, before they locked with fiery blue, attesting of Near's eventual comprehension.

"L."

Mello raised his chin proudly, folding his arms across his chest, a self-satisfied smirk dancing on his lips. "Bingo."

"Indeed, that is a very interesting theory you just came up with, Mello. We can deduce that the receivers of this message are no one else than L and Esmeralda. Moreover, it confirms the fact that the mark must be carved somewhere on the last victim's body. This message is a direct provocation. The Bells Ringer is telling L that he already hurt the last victim and if he does not find her soon, she will suffer even more. Also, these verses give us another information about Esmeralda. To find Esmeralda, we must find a woman whose skin is _marked_. It is a shame the Bells Ringer did not apply this modus operandi for the eleven previous victims, for it would have allowed us to know what kind of mark he was inclined to inflict on his victim. It can be anything, scars, cuts, tattoos, burns or..."

He interrupted himself as his gaze cast on the blonde in front of him. Mello was leaning back against the desk, fingers rubbing at his temples and eyes. It did not take a genius to understand what bothered the other male.

"Mello. You should get some sleep." This statement caused the blonde to look down at him.

"Yeah, but where am I going t—"

"If I recall well, there used to be a gymnastic carpet in one of the boxes at the back of the room." Near cut him off, reading his mind and answering his question even before he finished wording it. "Lay it on the floor and lie down on it, it shall be more comfortable than the harsh ground on which I am currently sitting."

"Right." Mello sighed as he disappeared in the shadows of the other edge of the room. Then, coming back to the white-haired boy's spot on the ground and throwing the mat on the floor, "But with only one condition."

Near peered at him curiously, one finger whirling a snow lock.

"You'll lie down with me."

Obsidian eyes grew so wide it looked like two dark pools of unfathomable waters. Mello only chuckled in genuine amusement. Then he settled on the carpet, lying down facing the other detective. Two strong but yet delicate arms shot up to seize Near's pale hands, tugging at them so fiercely it caused the younger boy to lose his balance and fall forward. Near's side hit the carpet in a silent _tuck_ and he soon found himself lying right in front of the blonde man who was smirking at him in pure enjoyment.

Two fingers reached up and brushed his eyelids ever so lightly, compelling them to shut. A hot breath tickled snow-white strands near his ear.

"You're only human, you know." Mello's voice was but a sweet whisper caressing the shallow of his ear. "You need rest sometimes. Goodnight, Near."

For a short while, the albino didn't dare to open his eyes for he feared he might be faced with very close, mesmerizing blue eyes. When he could hear an even, steady breathing, dark orbs flickered open. The sight that welcomed him a few inches away brought a small, almost invisible smile to his lips. Mello was sound asleep, blonde bangs falling on his haughty features, lifting in synchronization with his regular exhalations, his rosary resting on the mattress right next to his joined hands.

 _Mello looks as if he is praying._

 _Who is he praying? What is he praying for? I wonder._

It never occurred to the world's current greatest detective that his former enemy might be praying for him, for _them_.

All of a sudden, a powerful shudder passed through Near's entire body, cool air slowly biting at his skin.

 _Undoubtedly, this room suffers from real conditioner problems. As soon as I recover the contact with the outside world, I must inform Commandant Rester of this troublesome issue._

Without thinking, he raised a pale finger to twist into one of Mello's blonde locks, finding the warmth he was not even aware he was seeking in that most simple touch. Listening to his instinct, he scooted closer to the dark-leather form, and immediately he felt as if consumed by a soothing, appealing glow he couldn't help but enjoy.

Black eyes shut as tiny hands closed around larger hands and a white figure pressed against a dark one, bent legs and arms interlocked perfectly, snow melting into oil, salt merging with pepper. The Ying and Yang.

 _Of course, body heat is a very efficient way of natural warming._

 _That is why I am forced to lie so close to Mello._

 _It is merely scientific matters._

 _Or is it?_

* * *

 _"L'amour est comme un arbre..."_

Halle Bullook shifted in her sleep as foreign words reached her ears, or perhaps it was merely echoing in her mind.

 _"...il pousse de lui-même..."_

Her eyebrows furrowed deeply in her half-conscious state. The voice was quiet and soft.

 _"...jette profondément ses racines dans tout notre être..."_

It must be some kind of a senseless dream, filled with gibberish, inexistent languages. Yes, that must be it.

 _"...et continue souvent de verdoyer sur un coeur en ruines._ "

 _No._ Halle's eyes shot open. _This is not a dream. I am sure I heard this voice speaking for real. It's very close. Someone must be here, talking, humming while I was asleep..._

She straightened up, rotating on her behind, sitting on the edge of the bed, lean legs hanging in the cold morning air to rest on the parquet. Her sleepy eyes drifted to the alarm clock on the bedside table. 5:47am.

 _Oh dear._

Her hand brushed the covers as she was searching for a cloth, a nightshirt, anything to cover her naked body. Her fingers met a wet, warm spot on the bedsheets. Ever so slowly, she turned her head to look at the other side of the bed. It was empty.

But that was not what caused her to freeze in place, as if thunderstruck. In the middle of the silky white and black fabric was a large, circular stain of red liquid that could not be mistaken. Lidner widened her eyes in shock as she reached down to ran her fingers on the spot, then raised her hand to her nose, sniffing deeply. Her breath hitched as her worst fear turned out to be true.

 _Blood._

 _What's the meaning of this? I'm not a virgin, and I'm pretty sure Elena isn't either. So why? Why is there blood on the sheets?_

 _Surely she bit on my neck quite nastily, but still—_

 _"C'est alors que la surprise et l'admiration furent à leur comble."_

The voice said mechanically, so low, so empty it could only belong to a ghost.

"What?" Lidner finally deciphered a white form curled up on the ground which she assumed to be a shirt. She stood up, bending down to retrieve the clothe and, putting it on, she whirled around.

 _"La grimace était son visage."_

Hal Lidner was not ready for the sight that awaited her on the other side of the king-sized bed, right before the huge bay windows. Glistening in the pure moonlight glow stood a nude body, steady and still like a marble statue radiating in the gloomy light, dark brown curls twirling, cascading along narrow shoulders. One translucent hand held a broken glass, a crimson liquid spilling along the livid skin of her wrist and arm.

"Damn." Lidner uttered shakily as she headed carefully, step by step, towards the ghost-like silhouette. "Elena. You broke your glass. Put it down, or else you're going to hurt yourself. Look," she managed to cool down her voice as she gestured towards the bed, "the sheets are already drenched in blood. Why were you drinking on your glass in the bed, anyway? It's only six in the morning, and—"

 _"Ou plutôt... toute sa personne était une grimace."_ Elena murmured flatly, as if she had not heard Hal's words, as if she had not acknowledged her presence at all.

This time, Lidner could not ignore her dread anymore. Something was definitely wrong with the french woman. Undeniably Cabestan was not herself and that only worried the blonde more for she was under the impression she was currently facing a stranger. And she really had not idea what to do nor what to say to bring back the woman she knew.

 _At least, she doesn't look badly hurt. It seems she simply cut her hand on the glass. But she's acting very strange, I can't quite figure wh—_

 _"Quasimodo..."_

The SPM agent froze in her tracks once more, a few feet away from the foreign naked figure, choking on a gasp.

 _Quasimodo. That's the character from Notre Dame de Paris. I remember Near and Mello talking about it... Why is she—_

 _"...le sonneur de cloches."_

 _Damn it!_ Hal clenched her teeth _. She must be having a sleepwalking crisis. What didn't she warn me she was subjected to this kind of illness? I can't wake her up, it is far too dangerous. But for God's sake, why does she have to speak in French?_

But what came next amazed the former CIA agent as unexpected words escaped the criminologist's lips, as if she had merely read her mind.

"Bells Ringer."

 _Oh my God. She's talking about the Bells Ringer case. I cannot miss that opportunity. Perhaps she will give out some crucial informations. I need to..._

Very cautiously, she turned around, retracing her steps to reach the bedside table, where a cellphone was waiting for her use. Without further ado, she pressed the device to her ear. She waited in tense silence, fidgeting on her feet, until a cool, emotionless voice greeted her.

"This is L."

"Near. This is Lidner calling. I... I am in Cabestan's room, and I—"

"Lidner. May I ask what you are doing in Miss Cabestan's bedroom this early in the morning?"

"No. You may not." She snapped angrily. "Look, Near. Elena is in some kind of a trance... I didn't know she was sleepwalking, until now. She was speaking in French, I didn't get a word, but she just talked about the Bells Ringer. So I assumed she might say something really helpful about the case. Get a look at the surveillance cameras right now. I believe you would really want to see that."

"All right."

Silence settled in the room as Lidner then focused her attention back on the lawyer still standing in front of the windows. Then, suddenly remembering the situation she was currently in, her mouth went dry and she rushed the phone back to her ear, almost yelling into the microphone.

"Near, no, stop! Don't— Don't look at the camera. Just... Just turn on the sound. It will be enough."

"Very well," Near's unfazed voice answered. At her greatest surprise, he didn't ask for her to justify herself, as if he had already figured out the source of her concern.

She allowed a deep breath to fell off her mouth as she slowly circled the bed, walking back towards Elena as silently as possible.

"Try to talk to her, Lidner." A more groggy, husky voice rang in her ear.

"Good morning, Mello." She couldn't suppress the light smile to creep on her thin lips. "Yes, I'll try."

Then, taking a few steps closer, raising her hands up in a peaceful fashion, even though the silhouette was still turning her back on her, she spoke quietly. "Elena... What did the Bells Ringer do?"

"Hm..." The woman's voice was throaty, sounding distant, inhuman. "Quasimodo... He said... He said he would protect—" She yelped, and the glass slipped from her hand, shattering in pieces as it made contact with the ground.

"Esmeralda..." The mechanical voice went on without paying attention to the floor soiled with wine and glass chips. "He said he would protect her from _him_... But he— he didn't." She rasped hastily, sounding as if she had trouble speaking.

As if reading her mind, an explanation came to her through the phone. "Do I need to remind you that Miss Cabestan is French, Lidner?" Near asked blankly. "If speaking English fluently requires no effort whilst she is conscious, however having a live conversation in a foreign language must be quite hard on her while she is half-asleep. Speak very slowly and distinctly if you please, Lidner."

"Okay." She took in a deep breath before she tried again. "Esmeralda... Who wanted to hurt her? Did the Bells Ringer hurt her?"

"Quasimodo... Oh yes... No. Frollo. Yes. He said... "Be mine or burn." Something like that." She blurted out very quickly, her voice hushed and featherlight, as if willing no one could understand her. "Don't know why. Don't understand." The graceful hands tightened into fists as the golden head tilted down, shaking almost imperceptibly.

 _She sounds like a frightened child. How strange..._

"Okay, and..." She closed the gap that separated her from the lawyer, standing right behind her back. "What do you not understand?"

"Didn't keep his promise."

"What promise?"

"Be mine or burn, they said." The dark figure answered in a sing-song voice as she bent her head sideways, as if feeling Lidner's body closing on her back. "But the Bells Ringer was not Quasimodo. No, no. Quasimodo is nice. Frollo is evil. The Bells Ringer is Frollo and Quasimodo. That's why. _They_ are mean. _They_ didn't keep the promise."

"The Bells Ringer is Frollo and Quasimodo?" Mello's hoarse voice echoed through the speaker. "What the hell does that mean?"

"That is quite interesting, indeed." Came Near's thoughtful reply. "It would seem the Bells Ringer's madness did not come from his identification to Quasimodo, but rather from his identification to both Quasimodo _and_ the archdeacon Claude Frollo. A derived case of schizophrenia, perhaps."

Hal restrained a groan as she was still trying to think of a way to bring back the usually sassy, provocative french woman to her normal self.

"What did Frollo and Quasimodo do to Esmeralda? Tell me, Elena." She pleaded, her voice as soft as silk as she stretched a hand hesitantly towards the naked silhouette. Warm, soothing fingers posed on a cold bare shoulder, and the younger woman flinched at the contact.

All of sudden, the curled-haired head raised to the sky and the trembling shoulders bounced back, perfectly still. This change of behavior caused the blonde agent to arch an eyebrow, preparing herself for any eventuality, except for the one that occurred right after that.

"Do you really think one simple glass can shed so many blood, Halle?"

The latter startled, mouth gaping in awe. The voice was back to its original sultry, honeyed tone. Lidner could hear one silent gape coming from one of the boys on the other side of the line as three people came to the same conclusion at the same time.

 _Elena Cabestan is back._

A deep, bitter laugh reverberated into the shadows.

"You're all so pathetic. You really thought I was sleepwalking? That's a good one." She scoffed with pure disdain.

Lidner's lips pursed into a scowl. _Damn it, I should have guessed. She tricked us._

"Well, everything I said is true though." Elena declared cooly. "They broke their promise."

"What promise, Elena?" Hal asked again, her tone now cutting and ruthless.

A long sigh filled the air and Cabestan's voice was barely audible. "The holy mark of sin is carved on Her skin."

"W-What?" Mello almost shouted, causing Lidner to wince. Near on the other hand remained speechless, and the SPM member was feeling grateful for that.

"You know, Halle," the lawyer said quietly, as if wishing for only the blonde to hear, "when I was seventeen, I'd never cheated."

For some reason she couldn't quite fathom, this statement made Lidner very uncomfortable, as if the phantom silhouette before her had just cast a curse on her. "What do you mean, Elena?"

"Well," the naked woman chuckled mirthlessly and Hal could almost hear the edges of a sad smile in her voice, "at that time, Esmeralda was his. And yet, Esmeralda was burnt."

A deathly silence overtook the whole room. Lidner's jaw dropped and a stifled growl itched her phone-wearing ear. "What the fucking goddamn hell."

Eventually, the agent came back to her senses and reached out to touch the other woman's smooth back, but her hand stopped immediately as it brushed Elena's skin.

"What the..." Lidner muttered through clenched teeth. Then, frowning madly, she pulled her smartphone away from her head and opened the torch light application. She aimed the fine ray towards the odd-feeling back, and...

"AH!" The blonde woman cried out as she stumbled backwards. "No. No, this is not..." She raised her hands to her eyes, pushing on her eyelids to force them shut. "No." She whispered weakly as she dared opening her eyes again, but, finding she couldn't bear the view she was offered, she lowered her gaze to the floor.

The truth was so painfully obvious it hit Lidner in the chest, thousands of imaginary fangs sinking into her heart.

The truth was, Elena Cabestan was far too clever to cut herself on a broken glass.

The truth was, the slick, sticky sensation Hal had experienced when touching Elena's back was not due to water, nor sweat.

The truth was right there, right here in front of her eyes, in the form of a large, giant letter branded on the skin of the woman's back, drawing crevices into the smooth, reddish flesh whose every pore was now dripping with blood. Here was the unbearable truth burnt into the skin for all eternity.

 ** _L_**

Here was the answer to all the questions. Elena Cabestan was not born with hatred towards the world's greatest detective. Hatred had been carved on her body and into her soul.

"What is wrong, Lidner?" Near called, deadly calm.

"Near..." Lidner brought back the phone to her face, determined to explain herself, when the device was suddenly snatched from her grasp by red-varnished fingers.

"Near." Elena Cabestan cut her off, speaking to the detective directly. "You still want to find the last victim?"

"Indeed."

"Well, congratulations, _L_. You did since the very beginning." She spat, and her tone was never so poisonous, so hateful.

" _I am_ Esmeralda."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So here is the answer you were all waiting for.

Elena Cabestan is the last victim called _Esmeralda_.

I hope this came as a surprise for the majority of you, though some of you may have guessed because there were many clues that could lead to that conclusion. But there were also some counter-arguments on purpose to make you doubt, so it wouldn't be too obvious either. I hope the opinions will be divided.  
There are some elements that yet ought to be clarified, for there are still some clues that don't match, but don't worry, **everything will be cleared up in the next chapter.**

Now the question is, **who is the Bells Ringer?**

The answer will come soon, along with Cabestan's explanations.

 **P.S. The French sentences are extracted from Victor Hugo's _Notre Dame de Paris_ , it's a description of Quasimodo. It is not necessary to translate.**

Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope you liked that chapter!

I don't know when I'll be able to update, I have two exams coming next week. So the next chapter will probably be up in two weeks' time.

Until then, **please leave a review and share your thoughts. I'm curious to know what you think about that twist of plot!**

Bye bye, humans!

 _ **C.**_


	26. Monster

**To SadNerd707:** Thank you again for sharing your thoughts, it's always very nice to hear from you! Yes, I admit I have given in to some cuteness between Near and Mello. I'm glad you're happy with how the plot turned out and I congratulate you for having guessed about Esmeralda, I have left some clues of course, but it was far from obvious. Anyway, thank you for all your compliments, and I hope you will like that chapter!

 **To LottieRaven:** First, I wanted to say I waited until you read the last chapter on purpose before answering you because I guessed you hadn't read it yet, considering your last review. But yes, now you understand. And of course, the brand was a message to L, but yes it was more like a taunt actually.  
Indeed, now you can easily understand Elena's hatred towards L. L was very cruel to her, but I must say, like always, for if we think about it, L never really cared about the victims, all he cared about was the challenge a case provided him. At least, that's how I lectured his character.  
I also really appreciate your reasoning skills, you always come up with very interesting theories, but I must object on this one: Elena didn't exactly accept L's offer, it's more complicated than that. Don't worry, this chapter will answer your questions, you'll see.  
Once again, you're absolutely right: Elena is not a good person and I never planned to make her "good". She is selfish and proud, but she feels remorse. Maybe this case and Lidner will succeed in appeasing her mind after all. **  
**I am also happy you like Mello and Near scenes because it's the most difficult to write honestly, but also the most satisfying. You analyzed Mello's character very well, he often doesn't show it, but he cares. Near does to, and the main issue of the next chapters will be how to get Near to express his feelings. I also agree with your theory about Near's past, though I won't elaborate it in this story because I feel like it's a mystery that must remain unsolved. Nonetheless, everyone is free to think whatever they want of course!  
I remember you saying something about me being a genius, I must say you really caught me off guard with this one, but it really pleases me that you might think that. Even though I must tell you I was never diagnosed as a genius, to my great regret!  
P.S. To answer your question, the Bells Ringer is complete fiction. I invented it myself, and I admit I never really searched if such a case had already occurred somewhere. But being french myself, I assure you I never heard of such a case in France before! But unfortunately there are psychopaths everywhere, so who knows?  
Again, I thank you for all your support and compliments because they really make my day every time I read from you, I swear to you.  
Now here we are, I hope you'll like that chapter and I'll be honored to read more of your comments!

* * *

 ** _New York City M.N. Murder Case_**

 **Chapter 26: Monster**

A tough, impenetrable silence fell over the SPM Headquarters as soon as the three cursed words escaped the french woman's mouth. Blue eyes widened in pure shock searched for dark, steel orbs.

"That— That's not possible. You... You're lying!" Mello hissed, leaning over Near's motionless form to speak into the microphone.

"I wish I were," said the quiet, cold voice of Elena Cabestan.

"No, no, no." The blonde shook his head, still refusing to believe his ears. "It can't be true. You must be joking, it's not—"

"Do you really think I have such a poor humor?" She cut him off, as sharp as a knife. "You're insulting me, Mello."

"B-But... It's doesn't work! You were studying at the University of Law Paris-Sorbonne, right?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, well, something's wrong, then! The clues don't match." He shot a glance at the other boy next to him whose gaze was stubbornly glued to the ground. "We talked to the Dean, she didn't report any absence of female students from eighteen to twenty years old during December 1997! If you were kidnapped for one entire week and then vanished into thin air, then the University'd have—"

"But Miss Cabestan did leave after her first year at Pantheon-Sorbonne University of Law, didn't she?" An emotionless voice interrupted him, causing Mello to frown at the white silhouette before him.

"Yeah, but she passed her exams on January and the finals on May, so she didn't disappear after the kidnapping obviously—"

"Fair enough." The snow-haired boy replied evenly as he stretched a hand to twirl silver locks around his finger. "However, I suppose midterms period must last— what? One week, at most. As a consequence, Miss Cabestan could perfectly well leave the country for the whole semester, and come back only one week in January and one week in May to pass her examination. Am I correct, Miss Cabestan?"

"Yes, L." A sigh slipped through the loudspeakers.

"But I reckon if we were to ask Miss Emilie Lacombe about your presence in class and lesson during the second semester of the school year 1997/1998, she would tell us the University's attendance registers did not mention your name once, would she not, Miss Cabestan?"

"Indeed, she would."

"All right." Mello spat through clenched teeth, then turning towards the world's greatest detective. "But you forget one thing, Near. The Dean said there was no absence reported in December 1997..."

"...Among the students aged from eighteen to twenty years-old, _yes_." Near supplied the end of the sentence.

"What do you mean?" A blonde brow quirked up on a marble forehead.

"It is you now who is forgetting one very important detail, Mello. I recall you saying you investigated Miss Cabestan's past very thoroughly, did you not?"

"Yeah, but—"

"So you must know Miss Cabestan did not enter University at the age of eighteen years-old, like any average student." The new L stated neutrally as he extended a hand to grab the small red figurine. "Actually, Miss Elena Cabestan had always been a genius— a status we can very much relate to, I must add— but instead of being raised at an orphanage for gifted children, she lead a normal childhood and attended ordinary school, much like her dear friend Kira, if we think about it."

The blonde glared at him impatiently, urging him to get to the point silently.

"Perhaps it is the very reason of their everlasting feeling of boredom, but that is not a matter we ought to dwell on for now." The younger boy raised the doll to his eyes level, tilting his head to the side. "Anyway, Miss Cabestan took the baccalaureate at the stunning young age of fifteen, which then opened her the gates to University while she was only sixteen years old. Thus, when she was kidnapped by the Bells Ringer, she was the exact same age as the gypsy Esmeralda in Victor Hugo's masterpiece. Interesting coincidence, isn't it?"

Mello frowned deeply, a lean hand resting under his chin as he followed Near's fingers hovering around the tiny dolls. "I see. So we got it wrong since the beginning when we searched for an eighteen-year-old student... That's why Lacombe kept her mouth shut. It was our mistake, then. But— Wait!" His head jerked up as he pointed an accusing finger at Near, nudging on his forearm roughly. "I forgot about that, but you knew! So why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you ask for any female student regardless of their age, instead of narrowing our researches to eighteen to twenty-year-old girls! If you've just said that, Lacombe would've told us and now we'd already know!"

"That is right." Came Near's dull answer. "Although I did not want to know about all the students yet. To be quite frank, I let you ask her that question on purpose. I was merely testing her."

"Testing her? While we could've learnt who was the last victim and get done with it? Why? Why test Lacombe? Why'd you care, anyway?"

"Well, it had been quite some time since all the clues lead me to one single conclusion: the last victim had studied at Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne University of Law. Firstly because, if you remember well, all the other schools and universities were out of the question since you did not bother mention the age criteria. Secondly because it is the most close University situated on the path from Notre Dame to the 4th arrondissement, the location of the last victim's home. And thirdly because, well..."

A tiny smirk graced the bloodless lips of the young man as he looked up at his co-worker, whirling white hair frantically. "Who, better than a lawyer, could escape the judicial system? After all, we must remember the last victim managed to disappear in the eyes of the Administration without any trace, no travel ticket, no identity papers, nothing _at all_. Also, she succeeded in avoiding to testify at the trial during all those years. Who, indeed, could master such a trick without any legal knowledge?"

"Okay." Mello nodded almost reluctantly, eyes still narrowed at his rival. "But that doesn't tell me why you wanted to test Lacombe."

"Ah, Miss Emilie Lacombe, yes." The smile tugging at Near's lips broadened. "My intentions towards her were very clear. There were two possible outcomes of that interrogation. Whether she answered our question truthfully, saying that there were no female student from eighteen to twenty years old reported absent in December 1997, and then, adding that nonetheless, one student was indeed absent for one entire week, but that one was of the age of sixteen. _Or_ she took advantage of the loophole we offered her and lied to us, affirming there were no female student from eighteen to twenty years old reported absent in December 1997, without bothering to give us the full truth." He paused, arranging the small figurines in ranks at his feet.

"As we could all see, she chose the second option and lied by omission. Of course, like every self-respecting lawyer, she deciphered the flaw in our question and stepped in to better manipulate us. Doesn't it remind you of a certain someone, Mello?"

"Yeah, sure it does." The latter growled spitefully. "Fucking lawyers."

"I can hear you, you know." Elena interfered, her voice completely detached and indifferent.

"Whatever." The former mafioso mumbled, then daring a glance at his partner, "but what's with the test, anyway? Why did you give her the opportunity to cheat when you could've forced her to say the truth?"

"Why, because I wanted to measure the attachment that dear respectable Dean still holds towards Miss Cabestan, of course."

"Uh... yeah, right," Mello arched a quizzical eyebrow, "and what does that matter, again?"

"It matters, Mello, because then I would be able to know how far that woman was ready to go in order to keep her protégée out of harm's way." Near said in a deadpan tone, similar to the one a teacher would use to scold their recalcitrant pupil. "And judging by the fact that she was ready to lie to us— L, the greatest detective— then committing an obstruction of justice, I deduce Emilie Lacombe cares deeply for Miss Cabestan. Besides, knowing her affinity towards Miss Cabestan allowed me to exploit that weakness in order to trap her at her own game."

"Asshole." The word was spat through the speaker and hit the two geniuses' ears full force even though the receiver of such a venomous name did not even flinch.

"Watch your mouth, Cabestan! Don't you dare insulting him!" Mello had stood up in haste, as if ready to jump at the throat of the bold woman, fists fisted in balls and nails digging into his palm.

"Defending your lover, now, aren't we?" Cabestan snapped back. "Pity you didn't think about that before faking your death and killing innocent children."

"Shut up, you bitch! You're pissed because he figured it out! You're just annoyed that all your dream plans fell apart!" He shouted, his eyes glaring daggers at the dark ceiling, as if the criminologist was looming over their head.

"Mello." A light tug at his leggings leg brought back the flustered man to earth. He looked down at the white-haired boy who had curled his fingers into the leather fabric. "Calm down. I suppose I deserve the way Miss Cabestan addressed me, and I confess it does not bother me in the slightest. So please, sit back down and let us have a peaceful discussion, will you?"

The blonde stared at the younger detective in silence, before he complied, not without a throaty growl, and settled back on the ground next to Near. "So, what do we do now?" He asked quietly, as if his voice couldn't muster the strength to speak louder.

"Now, I suggest we make a polite phone call to the Dean of the University of Law Paris-Sorbonne and ask her about the students who were under the age of eighteen in December 1997. I am sure she will feel obliged to disclose the whole truth this time."

Mello sighed, putting his head down, blonde bangs swinging in front of his forehead. "All right. I'll call Lacombe." He said wearily as he rose from the floor and walked towards the computer. He dialed a number quickly, and a slow, hypnotizing ring made itself heard.

Soon enough, a soft, groggy voice echoed in the speaker.

"Allô?" A yawn.

"Emilie Lacombe." Mello said cooly. "This is L. I'm calling you to seek for the answers you didn't give me the last time we talked."

Silence was all he was greeted with, then a low groan. " _Me faire parler en anglais à six heures du matin, non mais franchement_..."

A light chuckle came from another dark device next to the white-dressed boy, the one connected with the criminologist's bedroom microphones.

 _To make me speak in English at 6am, seriously..._ Mello barely scoffed as his brain translated the Dean's sentence almost automatically.

Mello's brows furrowed as he stole a glance at Near, who nodded promptly.

"Are you ready to answer all my questions truthfully, Miss Lacombe?" Mello asked, turning his head towards the computer screen.

"Yes, yes." The drowsy voice replied. "What do you want to know?"

"Last time we talked, you told me there was no female student aged from eighteen years old to twenty who had been reported absent in December 1997..."

"Yes, and it was true. So?"

"...But you didn't tell me about female students who were _under_ the age of eighteen." Mello finished, the corner of his thin lips twisting upwards.

The Dean marked a pause, and the two detectives swore they heard a shaky breath on the other side of the line as they shared a meaningful look.

"You didn't ask." Emilie's voice was slightly hoarse, as if every word she pronounced was painful.

"Well," Mello's smile widened, "now I'm asking you. Was there any female student underage who was absent in December 1997?"

"...Yes."

"How many?"

"One."

"What was her name?"

Another pause, and a trembling sigh.

"Elena Cabestan."

The blonde rotated on his heels so he could offer his former nemesis a satisfied grin. Near arched an eyebrow in response.

"How old was this Elena Cabestan girl?"

"Sixteen."

"When was she reported absent?"

"On December 1st."

"How long did it last?"

"One week. After that, it was holiday time."

"Hm..." Mello scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Did she come back to pass her exams?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"On the week of January 10th of 1998."

"And did she come back to class after that?"

"No." Her voice was sour and weak.

"Did she ever come back to University?" Mello inquired, feigning amazement.

"Yes, during one week in May, to pass her final exams."

"Hm..." He mused, then shooting a mischievous glance at Near, he went on, "you have a great memory, Emilie Lacombe."

"What?"

"Well," he restrained a laugh, "last time I asked you about students' absence in 1997, you spent several minutes searching into the University's records... This time, you gave me the name of the student, the dates and time of her absence without a single hesitation. Strange, if you ask me."

"Like you said, I just have a great memory." Lacombe retorted dryly.

"Right. A good memory." He scoffed. "But yet, a very _selective_ one..."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that your remembrance of all these details concerning Cabestan's case is a bit too much suspicious, Miss Lacombe." He said very slowly, his voice sweet and honeyed. "Do you know why she left so suddenly, from this fateful day of December 1st? Why she never came back to class? Why she disappeared until she presented her doctoral thesis in 2001?"

"I..." The Dean stuttered miserably. "No, I— I don't know."

"Oh, really?" The mafioso sneered. "No need to lie anymore, Lacombe. We know—" He interrupted himself as he heard a clicking of a tongue. Whirling around, he noticed Near's white locks rocking from left to right as the boy shook his head slowly. He blinked at him, before he turned back towards the blinding screens.

"Never mind. That was just a test." He said, his voice steady and calm. "I believe you."

"Thank you." She whispered, and she sounded drained of all living essence. "You know, I..." She sighed deeply. "At that time, we had an affair, I mean, we were together. She really, uh... She meant a lot to me. And one day, she just disappeared. But I saw her again at the end of the exam, so I asked her how it went. Since she didn't even acknowledge my question, I asked where she had been all this time and why she stopped talking to me. She just..." The french professor took in a deep, wavering breath. "She smiled at me, but it looked as happy as the undertaker's smile, you see, and she said " _Pardonnez Elena Cabestan, elle est morte_." Which means—"

" _Forgive Elena Cabestan, she is dead_." Mello cut in impatiently, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I know. And then?"

"Uh, then... Then she left. I thought she had left Paris, or at least the University because she never showed up at my lessons, nor in any of her classes. But I saw her again at the final exams in May. What struck me was... She was so pale, and so skinny. I almost didn't recognize her. I guessed she wouldn't talk to me, so I asked her in front of everyone to wait until the end of the test, I waited for all the students to leave, and then I asked her what was wrong. I knew her, she wasn't the kind of student to vanish and miss class without reason. But still she was the major of the promotion in the first semester."

"What did she say when you asked what was wrong?" Mello asked, this time his eyebrows furrowed in real curiosity.

"Well, she said the most awful things I ever heard in my life." The woman laughed darkly. "She said " _Ne me parlez plus, je suis morte. Faites votre deuil et oubliez-moi. Ça ne sert à rien de s'accrocher à des fantômes. Tournez-vous vers les vivants, eux vous rendront peut-être heureuse._ " I guess I don't need to translate?"

"Yeah." Mello nodded as he stared at the white-haired boy on the floor. " _Don't talk to me, I'm dead. Mourn me and forget me. It's useless to cling to ghosts. Turn to the living, maybe they'll make you happy._ " He let himself fall into a black wheel chair, spinning it around to face Near. "Kinda gloomy, indeed. Did you ever see her again?"

"No." Came the immediate answer. "I don't know where she studied from 1998 until 2001. I just heard she had presented her thesis at Paris-Sorbonne, but it was none of my concern. It was not my subject. I'm a Civil Law teacher, and she had chosen Penal Law. After that exam at the end of her first year, I never saw her again. I never listened to her either."

"What do you mean?"

"I never could forget her."

Mello shut his eyes, exhaling softly, then his eyelids fluttered open. "All right. I think I have all the informations I need. Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Lacombe."

"It's nothing." She said, her voice extinguished, empty. "Goodbye, L. And good luck with chasing the _dead_." She added, her voice filled with regret and melancholy.

"Yes..."

Without further ado, he pressed the red knob and the line cut off. He raised a hand to rub at his temples, as if this conversation had tired him to no end. He was pulled out of his torpor by a smooth, yet monotone voice.

"It would seem your dear professor does not hold you to her heart any more, Miss Cabestan." Mello looked down at his partner in time to see the little smile that graced his pale lips.

"Yes, just like I'd planned." Elena replied neutrally.

"You pushed her away to avoid telling her about what happened to you, to protect her from both the Bells Ringer and L, right?" Mello said more matter-of-factly than questioningly.

"Yes. That's why I never told her about the kidnapping, nor the investigation. I was preparing my escape and I couldn't let L use her to find me."

"Of course. Still, there is something bothering me, Miss Cabestan." Near's fingers closed around the red doll. "You speak as if L knew you were the last victim. Did he?"

A bitter chuckle slipped through the loudspeaker. "Of course he did. He knew even before I was kidnapped. Actually, when he came to ask for my cooperation, saying I could serve as a bait to lure the criminal because I matched his criteria, he lied to me. In fact, he already knew I was going to be the next victim, no matter what he did. Despite that, when I refused to help him, he let the Bells Ringer kidnap me. To punish me, I guess." She spat.

"But I thought L didn't know in which church you were held prisoner?" Mello almost yelled in bewilderment. "And the killer chose his victims depending on the closest church to their home, so that doesn't make any sense! If L knew it was gonna be you, then he must have found the church closest to your house, Notre Dame de Paris!"

"Ah, but you see he did know I was going to be brought to Notre Dame, because that's where he and I met for the first time. He was looking for the last victim, before I was even kidnapped. He saw me on a bench, reading, and he instantly knew it was going to be me. So of course, when my parents declared me missing, he searched Notre Dame thoroughly... but I was not there." She paused, as if reveling in the effect of her speech.

"Actually, that night, on the first of January, I had planned to meet Emilie at her place. So I had told my parents I was spending the night at a friend's. It would seem my lie turned against me." She laughed mirthlessly.

"My parents were not worried not to see me coming home after college, but they started feeling concerned when I didn't come home the next day evening. That's when they started looking for me, they asked my friend's parents who, of course, told them I never showed up. And they went to the police. But then..."

"It was already too late." Near's emotionless voice filled in the blanks.

"Indeed. I spent the first night at Notre Dame de Paris, but... I survived. And the next morning, we were gone, after he'd left a message for L to read on the biggest bell... with my blood."

"You spent a whole week under the claws of your tormentor, Miss Cabestan." Said the new L, as if he was merely discussing the weather. "Did you spend every night in a different church, to cover the criminal's tracks?"

"No. After the first night, he brought me to the catacombs of Paris. That's why L never found me. The Bells Ringer completely changed his modus operandi upon the first night I spent with him. Even the greatest detective couldn't have predicted this move."

"I see. By any means, did the Bells Ringer tell you why he brought you to the catacombs of Paris ?"

"Of course not." She snorted. "He didn't need to. I already knew the answer. It seems you forgot your lesson about Hugo's Notre Dame de Paris, didn't you?" Near didn't bother to acknowledge her sarcasm as he knew she was not waiting for an answer. "In the book, which was faithful to the reality for that, the Gypsy population had settled in the catacombs of Paris, their Headquarters was called "La Cour des Miracles"— it can't really be translated into English, but if I were to translate it, it would be called "the Courtyard of Miracles." He brought me there, saying I was safe there, with my people, that Frollo wouldn't hurt me and..." Her voice seemed to die in her throat.

"And?" The young boy tilted his head to the side in expectation.

"And L would never find me."

"Obviously." He stated blankly. "Now, Miss Cabestan, would you please enlighten me as to why the Bells Ringer chose to disregard his modus operandi in the last few minutes?"

"He... He said that..." For the first time, her tone was mild, hesitant. "I was _the one_. He said he'd spent the last few months looking for me, and now that he'd finally found me, he... he would never let me go. He said he was sure I was Esmeralda because... because..." Her voice was but a faint murmur, yet she swallowed and continued anyway.

"Because I was the only one to have fought until the end."

"Fought until the end?" The white-dressed man repeated plainly, a pale brow quirking upwards as he met Mello's dark look.

"Yes." Elena's voice was as composed as ever. "He said all the others had stopped struggling and trashing after the eleven first times... I didn't."

"Struggling and trash—"

"For Heaven's sake, L! Don't make her say it aloud." A sharp voice replaced that of the French woman, howling stiffly at the detective. "Do you not feel any ounce of pity, or compassion towards the victims you are supposed to protect? Surely you must have learnt that brutalize victims of rape by ripping the truth out of their mouth is not the best way of dealing with them in that oh so notable orphanage of yours."

"Lidner. I am glad to know you are still with us." Near replied in a false cheerful tone, sipping with irony. "Though I do remember telling you not to raise your voice against me ever again. It would seem you forgot your place once more."

"And it seems you forget you have a heart, _again_."

"Oh, I did not forget, believe me." The young detective retorted bluntly, and he knocked the last victim doll down with a flick of his finger. "However, I fail to see how the organ that is charged to pump the blood inside my body has anything to do with our predicament, which is, in case it escaped your notice, Miss Cabestan's ordeal. So if you would please let me question her as a detective ought to do, I would be very grateful."

"Don't play fool, L." Hal snapped. "You know exactly what I mean, and still you don't care. All that matters to you is solve the Bells Ringer case, doesn't it? No matter if you have to break her down for it. Perhaps it's time for you to learn tact and diplomacy, don't you think?"

"Don't waste your saliva on such a hopeless cause, Halle."

The two men raised their head at the same time at the calling of the agent's real name. Mello's inquiring gaze slid towards Near who could do nothing but stare at the computer screen dumbly.

"Elena, you're—"

"No." Cabestan shut her up unceremoniously. "He's just like the former L. Compassion and pity are foreign words to them, even the most detailed, intelligible dictionary couldn't make those notions any clearer to them. I don't care. I'm used to dealing with _monsters_." Her voice was grim, mechanical, inhuman.

"Go ahead, L. Ask me whatever you want."

As the albino's livid lips parted, ready to utter irreversible words, Mello didn't think twice and rose from his chair, his brain rolling like a storm, his blood freezing in his veins, and in a blink of an eye, he was sitting by Near's side, a hand firmly pressed to the younger's thin lips.

"Mmm." The words never got out of that cruel mouth. Instead, Near widened his eyes at the feeling of warm, tough fingers smashing his lower face. "Mmm-mmm."

"Uh... Near, I know I said I'm ready to answer anything, but if you speak in koala's language, I'm afraid I can't—"

"Cabestan." Mello said harshly. "Stop your rubbish. I just shut Near's mouth. Felt as though he was only gonna dig the knife further into the wound, so I'll be the one to interrogate you."

"Oh, well. Fine, as you wish."

"Yeah, so... First of all, I'd like to— Er..." He sensed cool fingers curling around his wrist, looking down he noticed Near's hand pulling on his. Realization struck him as he remembered he was covering the boy's nose as well, probably keeping air from entering his lungs. He slid his hand down slightly so it rested only on the soft lips.

"Right, so... I'd like to apologize in advance for what I'm about to say. I'm only asking you that because I need to know what exactly happened to you. So don't you hold it against me, right? I'm only doing my job."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Mello."

"No problem." He nodded as if she was able to see him. "So... I guess what Near was about to ask was, do you mean the Bells Ringer kept you because you resisted him until the end?"

"Yes. He used to rape his victims twelfth times. While he penetrated me for the eleventh time, I was still fidgeting, trying to hit him with my fists and feet, scratching at every bit of flesh I could reach. And, then... For the first time, he smiled down at him, and he stopped. I didn't. I continued my striking until I managed to reverse our positions— he was not opposing any force— I pinned him to the ground and I landed on top of him. Still smiling, he stroke my cheek and said, " _Esmeralda, c'est toi._ " He said _I_ was Esmeralda, then he told me I was the only one to have fought him on the eleventh time. He said all the others had stopped after the tenth. Some fell unconscious, some just lost hope and gave up."

Mello frowned slightly as he felt the grip of Near's hand tightening around his wrist, reminding him that his rival had not let go of him yet. As if on instinct, he wrapped his free arm around Near's waist, pushing the frail white shape back against his chest, thinking that gesture might steady him in some way, or at least helping himself go through this dark, sorrowful speech.

"But I didn't." The lawyer's emotionless voice rang into both of their ears. "After he told me that, I slapped him hard on the face and I ran. As fast as I could. But he caught me. He was crying and laughing at the same time. I was yelling and struggling, even if I knew I didn't stand a chance. Soon, I was back on the floor, with him straddling me. But somehow, I knew I had won. I understood him. I was desperate to survive and I knew how to do just that. So I gave him what he wanted."

Suddenly, her tone was determined, as strong as steel. "I never gave up. _Never_."

Mello lowered his gaze to the ground, above Near's shoulder.

"I see." He said absently. "Then the next morning—"

"No."

"What, _no_?"

"No, I'm not finished." The criminologist answered sternly. "After that, he used a red-hot iron which, for some reason, was customized with L's logo. He applied the iron on my back and branded L's name on my skin. And _then_ , indeed, we left for the catacombs."

He let his head fall forward and sink into Near's shoulder. "Okay." He whispered, and his breath tickled the other man's neck, causing him to shiver under him. But Mello was certainly not in the mood to rejoice in Near's reaction to his touch.

"And what... what happened on the six next days? What did you do once in the catacombs?"

At the general surprise, Elena Cabestan burst into laughter.

"What do you think we did? He didn't kidnap me to play video games, Mello." Her voice raised threateningly, though it stilled only a half-second later. "He did the only thing he had ever done. He talked to me. And he raped me. All days were the same. From the second to the last."

Mello's mouth gaped, but no sound came out of it. Near's slim frame hardened up against his chest, his short nails biting into the fair skin of his wrist.

"Did... did you sleep?" The blonde uttered huskily.

"Of course I slept." The woman scoffed as if he had asked the most stupid question. "A body can't survive without sleep for more than three days. If I didn't sleep, I would be dead. I slept an average number of three hours a night. But what's strange is that, as days went by, I slept more and more each night. On the first night, I must have had something like one hour and a half of sleep, and the last night... I think I slept almost eight hours."

Mello did not find the courage in him to answer, the almost joyful tone of the woman as she was talking about the darkest times of her life was eating right at his soul. Soon enough, she went on, unperturbed by the silence.

"I suppose I had learnt to trust him in the end." She said quietly, as if for herself.

"Elena." For the first time in forever, he felt the desire— no, the necessity to call her by her first name. "How many times did he rape you?"

"Twelve times a night." She replied, her words as many blades digging into his flesh. "You do the math."

A thick silence settled, and it felt as if it was stretching the distance between all the protagonists.

"Oh God."

Without a second thought, Mello let his head drop, burying his face into the back of Near's neck, as if this story would appear any more bearable if he was hiding into silver locks of hair, shut from the whole world, retired into that intoxicating smell of freshness.

To his greatest amazement, he felt a silky caress on the base of his wrist, then hovering on his hand, and he realized he was still pressing his fingers on Near's mouth, and the latter was currently holding his hand tightly. Suppressing a smile, the blonde finally withdrew his hand from Near's face, his fingers lingering on the thin pale lips before slipping down on Near's knee.

The other genius let out a trembling intake of breath as his mouth was freed from his rival's grasp. Mello wrapped his now free arm around Near's waist, clinging to the lean, white silhouette like a lifeline.

"Eighty-four."

The cool, bland voice of the world's current greatest detective echoed throughout the working room, dying into the darkness, and there was a respectful smoothness touch to it.

"What're you saying, Near?" Mello muttered into his neck, and he felt a light shudder cross the younger's body.

"Miss Cabestan has been raped a total of eighty-four times. Am I correct, Miss Cabestan?" Near demanded casually.

"Yes."

"Oh God." The blonde fisted his hands into Near's white shirt. He raised his head ever so slowly, waiting with dread for the moment his former nemesis would order him to let him go and pull away.

"Miss Cabestan, I apologize for handing over my job of interviewing you to Mello. I want you to know it was not my intention at all. I was..." He reached up, twirling a strand of hair around his index finger, "momentarily rendered incapable of speaking."

"It's okay."

"Very well, then." He shifted slightly on his knees, careful not to dislodge the quiet blonde man who was stil leaning against his back. "After the seventh night, how did you manage to escape the Bells Ringer?"

"I didn't escape him." Elena said dryly. "He let me go."

"What?!" Mello seemed to regain his senses as he almost shouted, but the fragile body against him did not even stumble.

"On the morning of the eighth day, I was asleep. Yes, that was the night I slept the most. When he woke me up, he said we needed to go. I thought he was going to bring me to another church or another catacomb or whatever... Actually, I didn't really give a damn at the moment. He helped me on my feet, but obviously, I couldn't walk." She snorted disdainfully, and for once her spite did not seem directed to anyone but herself.

"I thought he was gonna drag me by force or something... but he didn't." She stopped, as if astonished by her own words. "He took me in his arms. And he brought me to the nearest hospital. He told the doctors he'd found me in a gutter. They let him talk to me for a few minutes. We were alone in the room, he was sitting at my bedside, and... it's strange, really." Her voice was suddenly dreamy, as if her mind had drifted off far far away. "In the white light of that hospital room... he almost looked beautiful."

Mello widened his eyes in awe, and Near only kept whirling his hair around his fingers.

"He smiled at me, and his teeth didn't look as damaged as before. He took my hand and squeezed it so strongly, and his touch was not that rough." She said idly. "Then, he gave me a choice. " _Choisis: moi, ou les flames de l'Enfer._ " He said. "Choose: me, or the burning fires of Hell." I knew what I had to say, I didn't hesitate. So I told him what I must, " _Je préfère encore mourir plutôt que vous appartenir._ " I knew it wasn't Esmeralda's exact words in the book, but the main idea was there. "I would rather die than belong to you." That's what he wanted to hear. He smiled again and he leant down on me, whispering in my ear, " _Adieu, Esmeralda. Tentatrice et tenté, nous nous reverrons en Enfer._ " In English, "Farewell, Esmeralda. Temptress and tempted, we will meet again in Hell." And he left. I never saw him again."

"I see." Near replied evenly. "The Bells Ringer, impersonating both Quasimodo and Claude Frollo, was torn between two opposite pulsions. Make you his and protect you. On the other hand, you, Miss Elena Cabestan, had to play your role until the end, for if he thought he had been wrong in choosing you as Esmeralda, he would have killed you like the first eleven women before you. As we all know, the Gypsy Esmeralda is known for having resisted the archdeacon Claude Frollo until the very end, even choosing death over him. He was yet the only person able to save her from death, but she declined his offer. She was hung on the public place for denying Frollo's advances." He marked a pause, then lifting his head, a small smile dancing across his livid lips.

"I must admit you played your role to perfection, Miss Cabestan. Anyone in your place would have given in to the criminal if it could prevent them from suffering, but you did not. During that week you spent with your tormentor, you learnt to understand him— at your own expense, I daresay— and you deciphered his deepest desires. You quickly understood his wish was not to find a woman who would forfeit, but rather a woman who would never, ever stop fighting. It would seem your talents in the area of emotions had been first revealed very soon, to assure your surviving. That is indeed quite an achievement for a sixteen-year-old girl kidnapped and tortured for a whole week."

"Yes, well..." Elena answered indifferently, and he could almost see her shrug her shoulders.

"I understand now." Another feminine, more caustic and distant voice intervened. "When you said you had once broken your soul to understand a criminal, we all thought you were talking about Light Yagami..." Hal Lidner trailed off, probably to turn towards the lawyer. "But we were wrong. You were talking about the Bells Ringer. You kept fighting, again and again, choosing to suffer instead of giving up to the prospect of a much appeasing death. Your soul and body were shattered into pieces, but even so, you never stopped fighting. And your survived."

"Hm. I'm impressed, Halle." Came Cabestan's mocking voice. "You really sorted it out. Yes, you're right. When I met Light Yagami, I was not afraid in the slightest, because my soul was already broken to no repair. So what more could have happened to me?"

"You could have died." Hal retorted severely.

"Oh yes, right!" This time, the criminologist laughed wholeheartedly. "And then what? I had lived more than enough."

"Elena, you can't say th—"

"Ladies, please." Near's emotionless voice cut in, bringing the two woman back to reality.

"Sorry, L." Lidner said, sounding really apologetic.

"Yes, sorry, _L._ " Elena repeated sarcastically, sounding anything _but_ apologetic. "So, any more questions?"

"Er, I have one." Another masculine voice added to the conversation, more hesitant and raspy than his partner's.

"Yes. What do you want to know, Mello?"

"How many time did you stay at the hospital? And... I mean, all the injuries and bruises you got... Did they heal eventually?"

"Ah, I must say I wasn't expecting that question. Well, the doctors kept me under observation for three weeks. During the first, they made several analysis, for they had learnt I was the missing girl kidnapped by the Bells Ringer. They made many tests like the AIDS test, and so on. Fortunately, the eleven first victims were all virgins and not seropositive, just like my—" She interrupted herself all of a sudden, before she continued, as if nothing happened, "just like the criminal, it would seem. So I didn't contract the AIDS virus. Of course I had many injuries like cuts, scratches, and of course, the beautiful, _wonderful_ ," her voice grew more and more vicious as she spoke, "brand on my back. They were all taken care of, disinfected and covered in bandage. After fifteen days, though, I was still too weak to walk and go back home, so they kept me at me hospital. I had a strict diet to follow, and I'll pass you the details. Anyway, after three weeks of rest and rehabilitation, I was released."

"But I presume you did not go back to your parents' house, now did you, Miss Cabestan?" Near inquired in a clinical voice.

"Indeed, I didn't. I emptied my personal bank account— which was, thanks to generous parents and grand-parents, quite full— and I stayed in different inns in Paris, changing approximately every two weeks, until I had passed all my exams. After that, I took a plane for London Heathrow. I passed my bachelor and master degrees in the University of Cambridge." As she heard a surprised gasp next to her, she explained. "My grades gave me the access, and it would seem I had a little help from the inside, though I never knew where it came from. Anyway, I came back to present my doctoral thesis at the University Paris-Sorbonne, and then, as you all know, I became a Penal Law professor, specialized in Criminal Science."

"Right, but wait a minute!" Mello said fiercely, his brows joining into a confused expression. "How come L never found you?"

"Ah, I knew you were going to ask that." Cabestan answered pleasantly. "Well, when I left my home, I simply wrote a letter to my parents, asking them to understand my will to leave for a while. I didn't care what would happen to L, the police, the case, or even the Bells Ringer. But when I came back, I was quite surprised that I managed to escape L. In fact, I learnt the chief investigator— Bonnard, is that it?"

"Paul Bonnard, yes." Near nodded.

"Well, I learnt he had convinced the public prosecutor to apply a protection order. Normally it's used to protect women suffering from domestic violence against their husband, preventing them from being found by their tormentor. I don't know how he managed to get that, but I suppose he used the doctors reports. Thanks to the protection order, Bonnard could ask for my name and personal data to remain secret, and to never be revealed to the public, a decision supported by the Prefect of Police of Paris himself and many victims' associations. Of course," she chuckled darkly, "you can guess L tried to counter that barrier, but without the police assistance and against the public opinion, it was a lost war. He knew the last victim, he knew the identity of the killer, but he couldn't do anything without proof. And the proof, I was the one detaining it. So he searched for the ultimate proof that I was the missing girl who could bring down the Bells Ringer. He searched for the girl who had _his_ name carved into her skin. But the world is vast and the thought of searching his own country occurred to him very late."

"Of course," she continued neutrally, as if she was merely presenting the news on a worldwide news channel, "he followed my tracks to Cambridge. I knew this day would eventually come, but I wasn't worried. Anyway, he was just a detective and I had the police and the public on my side. The judicial cooperation between European countries wasn't very efficient, back then. So what could he do? I was living in the campus and he could only meet me inside the University."

"And... did he?" Asked Mello expectantly.

"Oh yes!" She laughed. "One day, he just entered the cafeteria and sat in front of me. We talked for two, three, four hours... I don't remember. He asked me to speak in my native language, rather than in English. I refused. He asked me to come with him to talk in a more private place. I refused. He offered me to stop hiding and come back to France with him. I refused. I asked me how was my back. I said it was fine. He asked me why I wouldn't tell the truth and testify."

"And what did you say?"

"I said the truth." She said coldly. "I said that I would rather die than help him. No criminal deserved to be caught by such a selfish, insensible man. Especially _not_ the Bells Ringer. He told me he understood my feelings, considering that I had been abused by a 'monster', but I had to trust Justice and not let that _monster_ win. I asked him, "Are you talking about yourself?" And finally, he shut his mouth." Her voice was triumphant, and the two geniuses could almost hear the smile in her tone.

"Then, I told him that if _he_ was Justice, the world would be better off without Justice. If _he_ was Justice, I'd rather let all the worst criminals escape. I was not letting the true _monster_ win." She spat the words as if it were garbage. "He told me I was wrong, that I was mistaking one monster for another, and that he was here to help me. That made me laugh, very much." She sneered. "I asked him what he was doing to help when I was raped twelfth times in a row, do you know what he answered?"

"No?" Mello tilted his head to the side, blonde bangs intertwining with snow curls.

"He said, "I was waiting for your kidnapping to become official. I was not obliged to take actions until your missing was reported publicly. Even though I knew very well that you were being kept in Notre Dame de Paris' bells tower, I could not interfere until I was one hundred percent sure the criminal had indeed kidnapped you." And that was enough for me. I asked if he had anything else to tell me, and when he looked at me with those fucking, disgusting empty eyes and said "No. If you refuse to give in to Justice, what can I possibly say?" I knew it was hopeless. I was waiting for a real explanation, perhaps even en excuse that could justify everything I've been through because of him... but nothing came. So I did the only thing that came to my mind; I threw the book I had on the table at him and I left." She paused, as if to try and conceal her anger.

" _Notre Dame de Paris_. That was the book." She said quietly. "I left him with the damned object that started it all. If I hadn't been reading this book after college in the park right next to Notre Dame every evening on November 1997, the Bells Ringer would never have spotted me. L would never have seen me as a tool. And Esmeralda would be dead hung in the public place in 1482, like she was always meant to be."

"Miss Cabestan." Near's icy voice broke the silence. His index finger was spinning a soft strand of hair even more frenetically. Before the woman could answer, a tiny cough came from behind Near's back and reverberated through the white-haired boy's spine. Blank brows arched in wonder.

"Er, Near... It's my hair you're playing with."

"Oh." The small detective's dark orbs widened in puzzlement as he slowly turned his head sideways, then seeing a yellow blonde lock wrapped around his finger, he blinked, his finger frozen in mid air. "Oh. Yes, it seems it is. I apologize, Mello."

"It's okay." Mello mumbled awkwardly. "You can continue if you want, it doesn't bother me."

"Really?" The young detective questioned flatly. He was going from surprise to surprise.

"If I tell you so."

"All right." The albino then focused his gaze on the dolls still scattered on the floor before him as his fingers had resumed tangling into hair, except that, this time, the hair was Mello's. "So I was meaning to say, Miss Cabestan, do y—"

He stopped all of a sudden as he felt snake-like arms, which was previously tightly encircling his waist from behind, push on his hips, causing his whole body to rotate on his behind and soon enough, he found himself sitting on the ground, facing a smirking blonde who did not waste time to place a lean finger under his chin.

The only trace of discomfort or dismay was the two black eyes as big as saucers in the middle of Near's stony face.

"Mello. May I ask what you are doing?"

"Just checking something." Mello answered thoughtfully, frowning slightly. "I have spent my whole life staring at your back, so..."

"What does Mello mean?"

Mello traced his fingertips on Near's cheek, his touch as light as a feather. He looked deeply concentrated just like the painter who is trying to carve the features of his model into his mind. Then, a discrete, genuine smile plated itself on his thin lips as he slid one hand into the silver hair.

"I just wanted to check if you're as beautiful as your back. And..." Deadly slowly, as if giving him a chance to react, Mello leant in closer, bringing his face a mere inches away from Near's, whose dark eyes were still staring back at him blankly. A slim hand stroke the pale cheek, and a hot breath brushed pallid lips, leaving a whisper on its trail.

"I'm not disappointed."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

In case you were wondering if I am really stopping here: Yes, I am a bitch.

So that chapter was mostly about explanations and precisions, with a bit of Mello and Near interaction during that rather painful moment.  
I hope you liked it anyway!

 **Next chapter** , you will finally know who the Bells Ringer is.

I believe there will be probably **two more chapters or so** to this fan fiction. Yes, it will soon come to an end.

All my exams will be done on Monday, so after that I'll be able to update soon. Be patient until then.

 **Please review and share your thoughts and theories, your feedbacks are always welcome, it means a lot to me!**

Bye bye, humans!

 _ **C.**_


	27. A Pain In The Back

**To Life-Is-Ironic:** Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts, I must say I am glad I succeeded in making you crave for more! Yes, now Elena's past is finally revealed and I confess it's not really rejoicing, but that explains why she's helping Mello and Near. Near is learning to love and it's a bit complicated, but he's a genius so he should manage, right? Anyway, here is the new chapter, I hope you'll like it!

 **To SadNerd707:** Thank you for your kind words once again! I agree Near and Mello's backstory would be interesting to exploit, but still I don't feel like I have the right to do so (don't ask why xD) so I'm not going to do it in this story, I'm sorry if it disappoints you. Maybe in another story, why not? I'll think about it.  
I was conscious the topics of this chapter were going to be quite dark and harsh, so I decided to lighten the mood with Mello and Near, who were clinging to each other to help themselves overcome this ordeal (or maybe it was to help the author — aka me — I don't know xD) You're right, Hal doesn't have the patience Elena has, but she'll have her answers in the end. Don't worry about Gevanni and Rester, they'll be back in this chapter.  
I thank you very much for your compliments, it is very touching as I hope I could become an author one day, but I'm afraid it's more like a dream. So until then, here comes the next chapter, I hope you'll like it!

 **To nearlymellodramattic:** I am very touched to know that you like this story this much, and I am sorry to know that you'll be pained when it will be over, so I'll make sure to give one hell of an ending so you won't regret it. I agree with you on one point: there are not many good works about Mello and Near, and I am glad to know you count this one among those.  
You had guessed Elena was close to the Bells Ringer, then you were right! But I am glad I could surprise you all the same :)  
I must thank you for your nice compliments, I admit I'd like to become an author so your words mean more than you can imagine. I am also glad you like my OC Elena Cabestan because it's always delicate to create and include an OC among other characters, so I'm happy to know you think I did well. As for Mello and Near, they're quite difficult to portray faithfully so I hope I succeeded in some way.  
You shouldn't be so hesitant, your English is totally okay, and I can't really judge you because it is not my first language either so don't worry! And I am honored that you decided to write to me about that story, it really means a lot. I am happy to find another fan of Death Note: Another Note; it's a very good book, though quite underrated.  
Do not feel sorry for reviewing, you don't know how nice it feels to read all those compliments, really! And I am also glad to know the story has travelled this far ;) So thank you for everything, and I hope you'll like the rest of the story!

 **To LottieRaven:** Ahah! Sorry not sorry! I hope I'll make it up to you with this chapter ;)  
I am really glad you like my OC because I really tried my best to create a realistic character, far from perfect, with flaws and fears. I agree with you: most of the time, the OCs in fanfictions are quite useless or hollow, but I hope I managed to avoid that gap with Elena Cabestan. I admit I've thought about a prequel about the Bells Ringer Case, but I don't think people would be interested, since it would only revolve around L.  
Once again, I feel like you read my mind: I think the writers of Death Note truly missed an opportunity to exploit Mello and Near's relationship, or L and Light's. I admit it would not fit making L and Light confess their feelings though, but a platonic and implied relationship (like I portrayed in this fic) would only make sense. Same goes to Mello and Near. I never thought of a possible relationship between them, before I saw the picture scene. I mean, who keeps a picture of a former childhood acquaintance in their shirt pocket? No one. Except Near. And that "Dear Mello" cannot be random. We know Near likes to taunt his enemies, but he never saw Mello as an enemy, so I don't believe that was meant to provoke him. That scene really intrigued me. I also think that Mello's behavior is more based on his wish to equal Near and catch his attention, rather than on pure and real hatred. Let's be honest: he likes challenge, and for him Near is a challenge. Doesn't take a genius to figure out the rest!  
I thank you for your kindness once again, and I must say I really like reading from you and exchanging with you as well. I hope it will continue that way.  
Unfortunately, sooner rather than later, this story will end. But indeed (once again you read my mind), I've thought about another story about Mello and Near (and all the other Death Note characters), so maybe it will compensate the loss of this one? I hope so. And since you ask, I've also planned to write a story about Black Butler, but I suppose you don't really care about that xD  
In any case, I have the firm intention to keep writing on this account because I find it quite a rich experience and also a very useful exercise!  
Before any other story though, I truly hope you'll keep reading and liking that one!  
I feel like I could never thank you enough for your support and encouragement.

* * *

 ** _New York City M.N. Murder Case_**

 **Chapter 27: A Pain In The Back**

Dark impenetrable eyes were still widened in bewilderment, glued to the blonde silhouette who was still looming over the fragile white body, smirking lips mere inches apart from thin pursed lips.

 _I do not understand._

 _There is that odd, tingling warmth raising in the spit of my stomach, spreading inside my whole body..._

 _I really need to attend to those conditioner issues. This cannot continue._

Clear blue eyes were lingering from his eyes to his lips, and he could not quite fathom why. Curious, he let his own black eyes slid down to Mello's rose lips. Strangely enough, he found the sight quite endearing, though he would never risk himself finding a reason to that. As an afterthought, he realized what could best describe the attracting view of Mello's lips drawing closer and closer...

 _Inviting._

Yes, that was it. Mello's lips were inviting him. But... inviting him to _what_ , exactly? Unable to sustain an answer, his bottomless eyes found their way back to Mello's icy eyes.

Then, a sigh escaped the pink lips which were not smiling anymore, and as fast as lightening speed, Mello pulled away, sitting back on the cold ground, blonde bangs hiding his upper face.

"You're so fucking annoying, Near." Mello mumbled.

"I am afraid I do not understand what led Mello to say such a thing," Near replied neutrally, his gaze fixed upon the small dolls gathered at his feet.

"Liar." Mello spat, not looking at his rival. "You know exactly what I'm talking about but you'll never admit it."

"Ah, and may I ask why Mello thinks I would never admit what I am supposed to admit?" He extended a hand to put the dolls into ranks, but he was interrupted by a rough hand who snatched the figurines from him, throwing them a few feet away out of his reach. He raised his head slowly, blinking at the flustered Mello whose eyes were piercing through him.

"Stop playing like a child, Near! We're not kids anymore!" He howled furiously, gesturing towards the toys spilled all over the working room floor. "Try act as a grown man, for a change!"

"And how does Mello—"

"For starters, stop fucking talk to me in the _third person_!" The blonde stood straight, fiery blue eyes glaring daggers at the unfazed snow-haired boy. "God damnit, Near! I'm not some emperor, or king, or whatever jackass who's referring to himself in the third person!"

"I see." Dark orbs locked with blue as Near tilted his head to the side. "Then what _are_ you, Mello?"

This time, the former mafioso found himself at a loss of words, so he simply stared down at the younger man in silence, mouth opening and closing in awe. Eventually, the most suitable and obvious answer occurred to him, and his eyes softened as he stated firmly.

"I'm your equal."

For a half-second, Mello thought he saw Near's black eyes gleaming in the dim light of the Headquarters, but the twinkle, as mesmerizing as it was, disappeared as soon as it appeared as the other male put his head down.

"I beg to differ," he said quietly.

"What d'you mean?" Mello frowned in confusion. He was sure that assertion had been verified true already.

"I am not certain that I am your equal, Mello." Near answered, his voice as cool as ever. "After all, I do recall you managed to live on your own for one entire year after the Kira case. I did not."

"What?" The blonde was more and more confused. "But you lived as well. In case you forgot, Kira died. You won, Near."

"No." Silver locks swung around a pale forehead as Near shook his head lightly. "I did not live. At best, I barely _survived_." He looked up to meet Mello's interrogating eyes, dark pools boring into blue. "I survived, thanks to _your_ doing. If it were not for _you_ , Mello, I would have died on the 28th of January 2010. Every SPK or SPM agent, every police officer, every agent of the Kira task force, every one in the world can tell whatever tale they had come up with, but you and I only know the truth." His voice lowered drastically. "You saved my life, Mello. Willingly or not, that is not the question. You saved my life, that is all."

Mello gaped at him. Thus, unable to do anything else, he simply let himself fall on the ground, right before the hypnotizing silhouette of the once callous detective. He merely kept his gaze anchored in Near's waiting for him to continue.

"But then, you vanished into thin air, leaving the world in the illusion that you had disappeared for ever." He reached up, tangling his fingers into his hair. "I do not know if you can imagine, Mello, how it was to survive with the constant idea that you did not." His voice was perfectly still and steady, though it carried an unusual depth with it. "And yet, there you are, very well and alive. So please do forgive me if I may appear a bit at loss when confronted to your presence, but I learnt to survive with the knowledge that you were no more. I have been nothing but a shell of a human for my whole life, as you have already pointed out, however after your so-called death, I confess I have seen myself becoming nothing more than a ghost."

Mello's eyes widened in shock at such unexpected words, but unconsciously, his hands stretched out to Near, one shaking hand resting on a white shoulder. He lowered his head, as if waiting for his sentence.

"I believe the facts speak for itself. It undoubtedly proves that you can live without me, while I cannot live without you." Near went on, his voice posed and even whereas his index finger twirled a strand of hair. "So as I said, _no_ , I do not think I can consider myself your equal, Mello."

"Near..." Mello's lower lip trembled as he whispered. "I..." He sighed, closing his eyes, then he reached up, seizing Near's hands and squeezing them in his. "Why do you think I started killing those kids, Near?"

Near's large eyes fell to their intertwined hands. "You wished to beat me once and for all. You wanted to taunt me, defy me, challenge me. You wanted to deliver a message as well, I suppose, but why, I never could quite figure it out."

Mello suppressed a chuckle as he shook his head, an amused smile tugging at his thin lips. "No. I mean, yes, but that's not all." As Near arched an eyebrow, he explained. "I wanted you to understand I was still alive, and I wanted..." He withdrew one of his hands from Near's to place to fingers under the younger's chin, lifting it up. "I wanted you to have all your attention, all your thoughts, all your desires focused on _me_ and me _alone_. Does it sound like something I'd do if I could live without you?"

It was Near's turn to frown. "I do not have a clue, Mello. Do I need to remind you that as far as emotions are concerned, I am—"

Mello growled as he suddenly closed his arms around the slender white frame in front of him, drawing Near against his chest, one hand hand around the small of his back, the other fisted into white locks. As if Nature had wished so, Near's head came to rest in the crook of Mello's neck, where he stayed buried, unable to perform the slightest gesture, completely frozen.

"You idiot." Mello grumbled into his hair. "I did all that just to attract you to me. I knew the toys would do the trick. You'd know it was me. And then, you'd want to catch me. That way, I knew you'd come to me." He combed the snow strands with his lean fingers. "Because I couldn't live without you either."

Near, his hands pressed to Mello's chest, released his arms still stuck between the two men's bodies and wrapped them tentatively around Mello's back, guessing the most logical gesture would be to mirror the blonde's action. Soon enough, he found himself relaxing into the embrace, a small tiny smile gracing his bloodless lips as she finally spoke, his breath blowing on Mello's neck.

"Well, then." He whispered. "I suppose that makes us equal, after all."

He could not see the radiant smile that illuminated Mello's face.

* * *

"Well, well..." Elena Cabestan clapped her hands together as she headed towards her wardrobe. "All that is very interesting, but I need to put some clothes on."

"Wait." A masculine voice came out of the loudspeakers. "You're naked?"

She stopped in her tracks, as if suddenly remembering all the rooms were connected by a full network of microphones and cameras, and thus made it impossible for her to talk freely without being heard by all the inhabitants of the buildings.

"Ah, Mello, Mello, Mello..." She sighed dramatically as she rummaged her cupboard, picking a white shirt and black pants. "Seems you came back to your senses. You two were very cute, but you still have a case to solve, am I right? Or you could always do as your dear predecessor did and give up..."

"Shut up, Cabestan." Mello snapped angrily. "Answer me."

"That's not very polite to ask a woman if she's naked, you know. But if you insist, then yes, I _was_ naked." She replied cheerfully as she finished threading her dark blazer.

"Why the hell were you naked? And why Lidner is with you?"

The latter froze in her place in the bathroom as she was washing the stained clothe she had used to wipe and absorb the blood that dripped from Elena's back. She waited for the younger woman's answer expectantly.

"Well, you see, Lidner simply obeyed Near's orders. She investigated me... very _thoroughly_." She could hear the smirk in her voice.

"Oh God."

Hal Lidner restrained the urge the bang her head on the wall. _Elena, you're impossible._

She smiled to herself as she made her way back to the bedroom where the lawyer still stood, arms crossed, looking pretty proud of herself.

"Miss Cabestan." A far more cold voice called blandly.

"Yes, Near?"

Lidner knitted her eyebrow as she became aware of a rather surprising feat. _Why doesn't she call him L anymore?_

"I am afraid we will request your help for one last point."

Elena sunk into her favorite red leather chair. "What do you want to know?"

"We need L's password to have access to the file concerning the Bells Ringer case."

Indeed, they ought to find the last victim in order to find the password, and here she was, in the very same building. The last victim in question seemed to hesitate, her hazel eyes cast upon one unknown point in the horizon, as if pondering if Mello and Near deserved that information. After a short while, it looked like she had made up her mind.

"Fine, I'll give it to you." She declared finally. "To find the password, you need to know what I said to L after throwing the book at his face. It seems my words rang into his brain somehow, because he used them to create his password." A satisfied, yet ruthless smile plated itself on her lips. "The password corresponds to how the last victim viewed him."

"Must not be very nice." Mello muttered.

"Oh, you'll see." Cabestan laughed. "It's deliciously ironic."

"What were your last words to L, Miss Cabestan?" Near cut in, as straightforward as ever.

"Right after I threw the book at him, his tea spilled on his white shirt." She began, her voice sounding distant, lost in memories. "His fork full of strawberry cake fell on his lap, streaking his trousers as well. And then I couldn't stand it, so I shouted at him, "Enjoy that, because that's all you'll get, _L_! Four over-sugared cakes, two cups of tea, ruined clothes and a damned book, which I hope will bring you all the misery in the world. You'll get nothing more from me." I pointed a finger at him and I said, "that face, that name, that letter, they mean nothing. For me, you'll never be more than _a pain in the back_."

"A pain in the back." Near repeated mechanically. "Very clever, indeed. To outsiders, it sounded like nothing more than a mistake coming from a foreigner who did not master the very famous English expression, but to L, it meant everything. It meant Elena Cabestan was the last victim he was looking for, and also that this last victim would never ever help him."

"I knew you would like it." Elena sneered.

"Nonetheless, I am rather curious; how do you know that is the password that will grant us access to L's record?"

"Because when I told him just that, he looked down and said very, very quietly, "Very well, I shall remember that." So when Mello stated the file was blocked by a password, I thought that might be the answer you're looking for."

"Yeah, well," Mello intervened stiffly, "we gotta try, don't we?"

* * *

The doors flipped open and two feminine figures entered the monitoring room, causing Rester and Gevanni to spin their chair around, looking at the two intruders. Elena Cabestan and Hal Lidner walked towards them, perfectly cleansed and dressed.

The two women decided to join the other members of the team while Near and Mello, alone in the working room, disposed of the computer, searching for the mysterious file.

Elena was greeted with two pairs of contrite and benevolent eyes which never left her until she sat at her designated wheel chair. With her gaze fixed on the huge screens that displayed the image of the two geniuses, she spoke, her voice as sharp as a thousand knifes.

"That's exactly why I never told anyone. I can't bear to see pity in people's eyes."

"Cabestan, I..." Gevanni started, his voice hesitant, "I don't know what to say, I—"

"Then don't say anything. That will be better for all of us."

"Look, I'm sorry." The dark-haired man tried again, his voice smooth and gentle. "We didn't know, and—"

"Of course you didn't." She spat. "I made sure of that. Though it seems L has decided otherwise." She sunk into her seat, folding her arms under her breast.

"What do you mean?" asked Lidner, who was settled on the chair right next to hers.

"Why do you think L put my name into his record about the Kira case, then add a link to the Bells Ringer file?" She snorted, her steel gaze sliding to her blonde partner.

"He wanted Near to call for you. He wanted his successors to find the last victim— to find _you_ , and solve the case." Hal supplied as she followed Cabestan's train of thought, her lips pursing in vexation.

The lawyer didn't answer and reported her attention on the screens just as a loud, jubilant cry echoed in the speaker.

"It worked!"

A smug smirk distorted Elena's scarlet lips.

"Mello." Near's icy voice interrupted the rejoicing. "I believe we have something important to do before opening that file." To illustrate his words, he grabbed the little red doll with black hair and raised it above his head.

"Yeah, you're right." Mello stood and turned around, looking up at the camera. "Thank you, Cabestan. For your help, for telling the truth and for... for everything."

To the general surprise, the curled-haired woman quirked a skeptic eyebrow. "It's not like I had a choice anyway, did I?"

Mello frowned in response, one hand resting on his hip. "Hey, we thanked you, okay? So don't—"

"Whatever." The young woman cut him off, waving a dismissive hand. "Open that damned file, Mello. I know you've been waiting for that for quite a while."

The blonde stayed motionless, glaring at the camera in silence, until a silky voice pulled him out of his trance. "Mello." And the mafioso finally rotated on his heels, coming back to Near's side, sitting in front of the blinding white screen.

"Miss Cabestan."

"What?" All the eyes of the persons present in the controlling room turned to her.

"I suppose you do not want to tell us who the Bells Ringer is?"

Elena's amber eyes narrowed at the screen, her upper lip curling into a disgusted grimace. "Stop asking useless questions and _read_."

"All right. As you wish."

"You're protecting him." Mello said between clenched teeth. "Why?"

Elena Cabestan kept her mouth firmly shut.

"Mello. Could you please be so kind as to read L's conclusions aloud?"

As soon as Mello's burning eyes fell upon the white silhouette next to him, the glaze shining inside his blue orbs melted at once and his gaze was nothing but mild and caring.

"Of course." The blonde wrinkled his eyes as he leant closer to the screen and started to report what was before his eyes. "Apparently, L based all his deductions on the fact that the Bells Ringer knew the detective Deneuve was in fact the English detective L. According to him, the media never talked about L since he investigated under the alias of Deneuve, so the killer couldn't possibly know L was behind all this. Yet, the Bells Ringer'd written his message on the bell in English, and L learnt a few months later when he met Esmeralda in Cambridge that his name L was carved on her skin— here in brackets is written " _a pain in the back_ ". So it seems L understood Cabestan's riddle.

"The only people who knew L was involved was the police, so he started investigating the police officers, their family and acquaintances. They all swore they never told anyone about L investigating the Bells Ringer case, so he found another way..." Mello paused, then emitted a little laugh. "Of course."

"He chose to search for possible links between the police officers and the clergy, did he not?" Near asked emotionlessly.

"Yeah." Mello nodded, leaning back against his chair. "L considered the Bells Ringer's obsession with churches, Note Dame de Paris, Hell and sins as a proof that he was a fervent practicing Catholic. So he searched for practicing Catholics among the police force. Since all the officers working on this case were baptized, he needed to dig in further. So he got some pictures of the guys and sent somebody to check the churches nearest of their home, asking the priest if he'd seen the guy often during mass or other religious events, and— Holy fuck." He startled, eyes widening in disbelief.

"What is it, Mello?" Near raised his head, one finger entwined around a white strand.

"That's how he got it!" Mello's head snapped towards him, blue eyes gleaming in excitement. "The murder scenes! The churches in which the victims have been killed! It's the same churches as the ones nearest to the policemen's house! That's how he knew for Notre Dame de Paris! That's how he knew it was gonna be Cabestan! There were twelve officers in the Bells Ringer task force. The Bells Ringer chose the churches— and consequently, the victim— according to the order of arrival of the men in the task force. He started from the last entered, to the first. It's like there was one victim for—"

"For one officer." Near finished his sentence in a plain voice. "Yes. So it would seem the killer was amongst the task force." A smirk drew itself on his pale lips. "Funny how history is bound to repeat itself, indeed."

Mello shot him a triumphant smile. "Yeah. Like Kira, it must've been easy for the Bells Ringer to lead the police on the wrong track. So here we are," he added as he reached down on the computer mouse to scroll the screen, "with twelve suspects, and— Ah. Well, of course the only way to find out which one it was, is to follow the religion lead. Among the twelve suspects, only three were practicing Catholics. But that's not enough, cause the Bells Ringer must've been more than just a regular worshipper to be able to enter the churches at night and climb to the bell tower, so..."

"I reckon L searched for an important religious figure amongst the three main suspects' acquaintances."

"Yeah." Mello nodded in agreement, still focused on his reading. "Well, there it is. One of the three is the brother of the bishop of Paris."

"Who is the bishop of Paris?" Near inquired, his head bent to the side in what looked like genuine wonder.

"Hervé Bonnard."

A deathly silence fell upon the Headquarters. Near's finger stopped twirling his hair. Mello took in a deep breath, before he spoke in a low, defeated voice.

"Brother of Paul Bonnard..."

"Chief investigator of the Bells Ringer task force." The white-haired boy completed blankly. "And also the very selfless man who convinced the public prosecutor to pronounce an order of protection in favor of the last victim which granted _Esmeralda—_ or should I say Elena Cabestan absolute anonymity, allowing her to escape both L and the french judicial system."

"Damn it, I can't believe it." Mello raised a hand to his forehead, his eyes shutting. He looked utterly devastated, or perhaps exhausted, no one could tell.

Strong, slow, regular claps echoed in the whole dark room, causing both men to look up, alert.

"Congratulations, L." Elena's honeyed voice reached their ears. "You've finally found the Bells Ringer. And yet... you'll never catch him."

"What— What do you mean, Cabestan?" Mello asked bluntly.

"Former chief investigator of the homicide squad of the _Quai des Orfèvres,_ brother of the bishop of Paris, childhood friend of the public prosecutor of the Assize Court of Paris, best friend of the current french Minister of Justice, former vice-president of Interpol..." The more she talked, the more her voice was drenched in poison, and the more Mello's face seemed to decay.

"Now tell me, _geniuses_ , how could you possibly corner a man like that?"

Silence once again reigned in the darkness, leaving no place for discussion nor interrogation. Eventually, the famous cool voice broke the silence.

"I now see why L could never solve that case. It is very likely that, even if _you_ , Miss Cabestan, accepted to testify, that man would manage to fall through the cracks. As it is, I am afraid the Bells Ringer is untouchable."

"But... But we can't let him get away with that!" Mello blustered out, spreading his arms in frustration. "Not after everything he's done! Not after what he's done to _you_ , Cabestan!" He pointed a finger in the direction of the bug on the ceiling. "For God's sake, he ruined your life! You can't let him go away! He must be punished! That's Justice, right?" He turned to Near, who was crouched on the ground, still and quiet. "He must pay!"

"I am afraid Justice is completely powerless in this case." Answered Near, his tone void of any empathy.

Mello roared in rage, then turning to the camera once more, "Cabestan, you want to get revenge, right?"

"The only revenge I took was against L," the golden-haired woman replied calmly. "L and Kira are both dead. There lays my revenge. It's over, Mello."

"B-But..." The blonde was starting to loose his temper. "But it has nothing to do with Kira—"

"On the contrary, it has _everything_ to do with Kira." Elena interrupted roughly. "L asked for my help during the Kira case. I refused, just like he refused to protect me from Paul Bonnard. I chose to shut my mouth and he died because of me, in the arms of his beloved criminal. Then, I got closer to said criminal and learnt to understand him like L never had the chance to do so. I took everything from him. His case, his game, his first ever friend, his equal, his lover-to-be, I suppose... And his life. My revenge couldn't be any more complete, Mello."

"But L didn't kidnap and rape you, the Bells Ringer did! So why in the hell do y—"

" _But L let him destroy me_!" A loud crash escaped the loudspeakers, and the two detectives guessed the woman had risen up, causing the chair to tumble backwards in her haste. "Paul Bonnard was insane, sick! He suffered from mental disorders, do you understand? L was sane, he was conscious of his actions, he _knew_! He knew all along and he didn't move an inch! He listened to my cries and pleads and he didn't do anything! He didn't even show remorse, he didn't apologize, and do you know what? He didn't even _look_ sorry! He was looking at me with these _fucking_ empty eyes and it just reflected the darkness of my soul! The only thing he ever cared for was solving the Kira case, cornering Light Yagami, trap him into his nets and destroy him! Do you know everything Light did to avoid L's suspicion?"

She paused as if waiting for an answer, and Near and Mello exchanged a questioning glance.

"He was the most paranoid and intelligent criminal I'd ever known! He had a magical notebook, Gods of Death on his side, he was acting normally in front of the cameras, he was cautious about every single fucking word he said in L's presence, he inflicted amnesia upon himself just so L would stop suspecting him! And what did the greatest detective do? The more he found Yagami to be normal and sympathetic, the more he increased his pourcentage of him being guilty! He cuffed himself to him for several weeks! They lived side by side twenty hours seven! One might say he was simply very thoughtful and suspicious, because after all, his deductions proved themselves true in the end. But the truth is, every normal detective would have given up to the lack of evidence. His theories was based on nothing, you hear me? _Nothing_. Nothing, but his secret wish to see Light Yagami fall. And he knew very well his arguments would not fit into a court. So he kept digging and digging, regardless of his suspect's freedom and dignity, hoping to make him crack." She laughed mirthlessly, and it was so uncontrolled, husky and broken that it sounded maniac. "What he did was not investigating, it was madness! It was obsession! Now tell me, you two faithful pawns of L, do you still think your idol was the best detective the world has ever known? Is _that_ Justice to you?"

Mello was shaking from head to toe, he looked ready to explode at any time now. Suddenly, he felt a cool, soft hand grabbed his from below. He glanced down in awe to see black eyes staring at up him, as if begging him for attention. Then the petite hand pulled on his and he let himself be drawn by the touch, falling on his knees in front of Near. Pale fingers reached up to brush Mello's scar in a feathery caress. Strangely enough, that seemed to soothe the blonde and he lowered his head, his breath slowly decelerating.

"Miss Cabestan, I will ask you to tone down immediately."

"Why? Because I frightened your lover?"

"No, you did not frighten my lover." Mello's head jolted up, blue eyes regarding him in pure shock, but the white-dressed boy's gaze was firmly glued to the ground, ignoring his co-worker blatantly, though his cool hand never stopped stroking Mello's cheek. "However, I assure you that there is absolutely no need to shout, for I totally agree with you. I, contrary to L, never saw him as the embodiment of Justice, nor do I see myself nor Mello as such."

"Really?" She rasped, her tone clearly mistrustful.

"Yes. That is why I understand that it would be pointless to try and catch Paul Bonnard. We all know that would be a complete waste of time."

"Near..." Mello said quietly, one hand raising to seize Near's which was still resting on his cheek. He grabbed the slimy hand in his and maintained it there. "You... You can't be serious. You have to catch him. You fight for Justice. You arrest criminals, that's what you do, right?" His voice was low, almost pleading as his blue eyes searched Near's dark ones.

"Yes, Mello." The other detective looked up to meet Mello's wavering gaze. "I investigate cases, draw conclusions and catch criminals, for that is what my duty as L's successor commands. However, I will not purchase the Bells Ringer, as known as Paul Bonnard."

"But... but..." Mello's brows knitted together in incomprehension. "Why?"

"We have won L's challenge, have we not?" Near tilted his head to the side, this gesture making him look like a miniature of a white feline. "The challenge was to find the last victim, enter the password and discover the Bells Ringer's identity, wasn't it? Well, if I am not mistaken, that is exactly what he did."

"Right, but now we know who he's, we have to—"

"Mello."

"Yeah?"

Near reached up, taking hold of Mello's hand over his and enclosing it between two tiny pale hands as if it was the most precious treasure.

"Do you trust me?" He asked, two bottomless orbs locking blue.

"Uh, I— Well, I think—" The blonde sighed, before plunging his eyes into Near's once again. "Yes."

"Then believe me, Mello." The snow-haired boy seemed to sit like a statue, two pools of pure black piercing through him. "Paul Bonnard will never kill again."

As he earned a quizzical glance from his partner, the younger of the two went on, imperturbable.

"Cats hunt for pleasure. Once they have trapped the mouse between their claws, the game is over. Most of them do not even bother to eat it, but let them to rot, and walk away. For what is a predator without a prey?"

And as a barely visible smile twitched Near's upper lip, he spoke almost cheerfully.

"Indeed, what is the Bells Ringer without Esmeralda?"

As understanding suddenly struck his genius mind, Mello took in a deep breath and lowered his gaze, defeated.

"I see. If he can't have Elena, he'll have nobody else."

* * *

As the two geniuses fell silent in the working room, all the eyes shifted to the criminologist in the controlling room who was stretching her muscles nonchalantly, leaning backwards on her seat, the chair menacing to tumble backwards at any time. Then, she straightened up and, feeling pointed stares upon her, she looked round, an amused smile tugging at her red lips.

"What?"

"Well, the Bells Ringer case is closed." Lidner stated.

"Yes, and?"

"And... so what do we do, now?" Gevanni intervened suddenly, his grey-blue eyes meeting Elena's hazel ones. "Shouldn't we open the doors and let Mello and Near out of the working room? They haven't eaten for two days now, and—"

"Wait." Cabestan extended a finger in mid air to stop him. "You spent two days locked up in here and you never thought about feeding them?"

"Well," the dark-haired man frowned slightly, "we are under your command since Near delegated his authority to you, and you never ordered us to give them food."

"Oh my Satan." She whined, smacking her forehead. "And they didn't even think about asking... Oh dear." She looked up at Rester. "Rester, would you please fetch something to eat for the kids? They just solved a very difficult case, I think they deserve it."

At her greatest surprise, she didn't even earn a hateful glare, nor a protest from the older blonde man, but a simple nod, and he stood up to comply.

She blinked in disarray, then, turning to Hal. "What's wrong with him?" She gestured towards the door behind which the SPM agent had just disappeared. "He didn't insult me, he didn't even object!"

"Perhaps he just understood your rebellion against L was perfectly justified and he resigned himself to consider you with a bit more respect." Halle answered, a faint smile drawing on her thin lips. "So, tell me Elena, do you plan on letting Mello and Near go?"

The french lawyer gave her an exasperated glance. "Let them go while they didn't give in to their feelings towards each other? Ah!" She snorted. "Never."

"As stubborn as ever, I see." The blonde woman couldn't suppress the teasing grin that distorted her graceful features.

"That's what I'm paid for, am I not?" She sniggered in response, and focusing back on the glowing screens, she added, her voice strong and confident. "You'll see. In no more than one day, they'll thank me."

* * *

Fifteen minutes after two lunch boxes landed in a small _splash_ noise on one of the farthest desks of the working room, apparently passing through some kind of a trapdoor that connected the main room to another secret room of the Headquarters building under Mello's puzzled gaze, the two detectives were eating quietly.

Mello shot a glance at Near's box which was filled with what looked like vegetables, though its color was of the purest white. The blonde arched an eyebrow.

 _I can't believe it. Even his food is white! What's this junk anyway? Soybean? White cabbage? Endives?_

As he was more hungry than he first thought, he had eaten quite quickly, so he soon find himself with nothing else to do than observe Near planting his little plastic fork into his vegetables, raising it to his mouth, deadly slowly, and swallowing after an eternity of mechanical chewing.

Soon enough, he broke the silence.

"It's nice to solve cases with you." He stated, blue eyes still fixed on the crouched figure.

"I agree." Near answered after a long pause spent chewing on his food. Then, posing his box upon his bent knee, "Let us hope this will not be the last one we solve together."

Mello flinched at the words, but most of all, at the meaning hiding behind those words. He furrowed his eyebrows, looking down at his lap as he thought of an answer.

 _Near... Are you asking me to stay with you? Are you offering me to work with you?_

"What are you trying to say?" He inquired, glowering at the white-dressed boy. He needed to see those dark, unreadable eyes as the other boy replied.

"I am not trying to say anything," Near retorted blankly, his gaze not meeting his, "I only meant to say what I just said."

Mello restrained a growl of annoyance, and taking a deep breath, he managed to say calmly, "Near, look at me."

Obsidian orbs appeared beneath snow-white hair, locking with Mello's blue eyes.

"For once in your life, say what you think." The blonde commanded, his voice weary and devoid of any hope, as if he didn't believe his own words.

There was a silence between the two geniuses, weighing and darkening the whole place. Then, a smooth, even voice echoed in the shadows.

"I think it would be best for us, as well as for the world, if we were to work together from now on." Near said neutrally, eyes lowering to the floor once again.

"Are you asking me to work with you?" Mello sneered, his thin lips twitching upward.

"Yes."

"Are you asking me to stay by your side?"

There was a short hesitation, then, in an emotionless tone came the final answer.

"Yes."

Mello smiled as he stood up from his wheel chair and walked towards the slouched boy. He leant down, sitting right in front of Near, their knees touching. With one swift gesture, he removed the empty lunch box that rested on top of the other's knee and placed his hand there instead.

"Why are you asking me to stay?" He reached down to grab Near's chin, lifting it towards him.

"Because I believe we both deserve the title of L. The past has proven that we are far more effective if we associate our skills and work together, thus I think it reasonable to—"

"Ah, but you see, Near..." Mello cut in, a taunting smile playing on his pink lips as he drew his face closer to Near's. "I'm not a man of reason." His thumb caressed the tip of Near's chin, blue eyes sliding on the albino's pale, pursed lips. "I'm a man of _emotion_. So quit fooling around and give me an answer I can understand. Give me the _true_ answer."

Black onyx orbs widened as they faced the teasing glint lingering in the shining blue eyes.

"I am asking you to stay, Mello," the detective said plainly, his voice perfectly steady, "because I _want_ you to stay."

Mello's mouth stretched in delight as he leant in even closer, his nose brushing Near's gently. "Why?"

The older of the two gasped as he saw pallid eyelids flutter closed. "Because it would seem that, against my better judgment," Near said quietly as his eyes reopened slowly, piercing through the blonde like steel.

"I love you, Mello."

To say the former mafioso was completely taken aback would be a laughable understatement. Mello was pinned in place, staring aghast at the black large eyes, his lips parted in silent amazement. Nevertheless, his surroundings soon called him back to reality. He exhaled softly and his hand slipped on the crook of Near's neck.

Resting his forehead against the younger boy's, he smiled genuinely, and it was imbued with both the happiness of the truest achievement and also the exhaustion of the man who had just won the hardest race after endless hours of suffering.

"See?" He whispered against Near's lips. An enticing shiver took possession of his rival's entire body, but the latter could not take his eyes off Mello. "Wasn't that difficult, uh?"

"I suppose not." Near retorted, his voice infuriatingly cool and stern. "But it seems to me that you, on the other hand, did not admit to—"

"You idiot." Mello groaned.

Before Near could even think of defending his intelligence, he was stopped by strong hands, one wrapped around the crook of his neck, the other digging into his silver hair. The disturbing, yet alluring sensation of a bittersweet satin caress on his lips helped him fathom what curse had fallen upon him.

Mello had closed the formerly impassable distance between them and his lips had crushed on Near's, impatient and demanding. A warm, smooth stroke that was meant to break the ice and instead, caused fire and glaze to meet and merge in a mesmerizing waltz.

Soon enough, Near was afraid to face the undeniable truth, but here it was: his mastermind had abandoned him in the arms of feels and passion, and his body seemed to obey no one but itself. Slender arms made their way up on their own accord, one tiny hand reaching up to lay on Mello's cheek, the other tangling itself in blonde strands, fingers twirling hair at the same rhythm as the hungry lips devouring him.

Mello's fierce hand slid down along Near's back, stopping at the small of his back, pulling the fragile white silhouette further into his embrace.

Their lips were sealed, as if they never really breathed before, and with their union, a promise was formed, so obvious, so powerful no sound was needed to express it. Only a shared, unified thought overwhelming two genius minds at the exact same moment, and the silent deal was made to last forever more.

 _Never leave my side._

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Here it is, finally! Near confessed his feelings to Mello, and Mello answered in his own way.

 **What did you think about that chapter?**

Only **one more chapter** to go now... It will probably be longer, so I make sure to give an answer to all the questions.

Thank you for reading!

 **Next chapter coming soon.** **Until then, please share your thoughts and leave a review!**

Bye bye, humans!

 _ **C.**_


	28. We Are L

**To LottieRaven:** Thank you again for reviewing, it's nice to have your feedbacks. I am really glad to know you look forward to my new projects of fanfictions. I am also very happy that you like Black Butler as well, I've discovered that manga not a long time ago and I instantly fell in love with the dark universe and all its mysteries.  
And to answer your question, my project of fanfiction about Near and Mello also includes L and Light, so it will be an entire different story, not a prequel of that one.  
I'm really glad you liked the scenes between L and Light, I've had good feedbacks about that, but also bad ones, so I wasn't so sure about it, but you boost my confidence. Though about the new project, I've started writing, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to publish...  
Until then, here is the last chapter, I hope it will be worthy of your expectations and that the ending will be to your liking.  
If you want to be updated on my new projects, I suggest you check my profile regularly, I shall mention the state of my next work.  
Finally, I'd like to thank you for everything you said to me all along this story because it was really a pleasure! So thank you for your kind words and comments.

 **To SadNerd707:** Thank you for reviewing, I'm really glad you like the previous chapter. I am also sorry that this story has to end, but there is nothing else to say so it better ends now. Believe me, all the questions will be answered and it will not end on a cliffhanger. I'm not that cruel! I hope you will like the last chapter and the ending. I would like to thank you for your support all along the story, it was really encouraging and it meant a lot to me!

 **To nearlymellodramattic:** First, I must thank you for your comments, it's really nice of you.  
Yes, you got it: Mello is much more into expressing his feelings by actions, while Near is completely at loss and prefers to use words instead. I am very happy you like the OC, I put all my efforts into creating a realistic, true character so I hope I succeeded in some way.  
Thank you for wishing me luck, contrary to what you might think, I will need it!  
And there's no need to thank me for answering you, it's only natural. Now here is the last chapter, I hope you'll like it!

* * *

 **Disclaimer** **:** **I do not own Death Note nor Another Note. I do not own Notre Dame de Paris, and I do not own Harry Potter. I do own Elena Cabestan.**

* * *

 _New York City M.N. Murder Case_

 **Chapter 28: We Are L**

"Goodness."

Hal Lidner glanced sideways and spotted a very dumbfounded Commandant Rester who was gaping at the screens, his eyes glowering at the image of his boss in the arms of his former enemy.

"Well..." Stephen Gevanni on the other hand looked quite composed and relaxed, his grey eyes reveling in the sight he did seem to expect.

Then, the blonde agent dared a look at her left, and she was faced with the most endearing view she had ever witnessed.

Elena Cabestan sat straight on her chair, arms and legs crossed, her amber eyes glued to the camera images, and the gleam in her eyes spoke of pure joy and bliss. Her full red lips were curled up into the most natural, heartwarming smile she had ever seen.

However, the french lawyer remained completely silent.

Lidner stretched a hand, placing it upon Elena's, grazing her fingers lighty.

"You did it, Elena." She said softly, a tiny smile spreading on her features.

"Yes, it seems I did..." Came the absent, aloof answer, and Cabestan did not look back at her.

"Wait." Rester cut in, suddenly pulled off his trance and turning his head to the criminologist. "You... you knew this was going to happen?"

"Of course." Elena sneered, still not tearing her gaze off the hanging screens. "I planned it and I did everything in my power to make it happen as soon as possible."

"But..." Rester was utterly confused, his blue eyes widening in bewilderment. "Why? What do you gain from..." He gestured towards the screen awkwardly. "From that?"

"Oh, nothing much, really. Just the strength to live with myself."

"What?"

"You know I'm very selfish, Rester." She spun her wheel chair around, facing the blonde older man. As he was about to retort, she held a hand. "No need to try and convince me you think otherwise, we both know it's the truth. I know you thought I'm the most selfish, depraved creature you've met so far." The Commandant could do nothing but stare at her half scared half accepting.

"And you were right. But then, you learnt my story, and you felt guilty for judging me so harshly while you knew nothing about me. Well," she lifted her chin defiantly, "let me tell you this doesn't change a thing. I can't change who I am. L was a monster, and monsters only create monsters, don't they? I am simply the monster L made of me. Sure, my past might explain why I've become what I am now, but it doesn't excuse what I did. I caused Kira's and L's death, and I was so involved in their demise it could as well have been me ripping their heart out."

Her voice was cold, haughty, and Rester fought to remain impassive.

He opened his mouth to talk, but once again, she was faster than him as she declared in the most steady tone, answering his silent question.

"No." She shook her head. "I didn't regret it. Not once." Rester frowned, and she sighed. "I'm just not the type of woman to burden herself with remorse. But that doesn't mean I'm proud of it."

"Why are you telling me that?" Commandant Rester inquired dryly.

"I am simply answering the questions you dare not ask, Rester." She beamed at him. He arched a quizzical eyebrow, and his lips parted—

"Yes." Cabestan nodded, once again wording the thought that was whirling in his mind at this very moment. She was so much of a medium, sometimes. "I am simply buying myself a conscience." She stated casually as she stood up and smoothed her blazer. "I killed two men, I saved two. My debt is paid, period."

She rotated on her high heels and headed towards the doors. "Halle, please unlock the working room doors mechanism." She called, her black back facing the SPM members who were all staring at her speechlessly. "Gevanni, Rester, please come with me and help me get the shelves and everything out of the way. It's time to get the kids out of their sandbox."

Confused looks flew from Rester to Gevanni and from Gevanni to Lidner at Elena's strange choice of words.

"Very well." Lidner raised to her feet and left the room in boundless obedience.

The two men exchanged a worried glance before they followed Elena's path towards the swinging doors. The former CIA agent had vanished at the end of the bright corridor and the remaining of the SPM members walked down the halls and into the elevator, which led them a few floors up. The doors slid open and the curled-haired woman lead the way towards the grey metal doors obstructed by the large, heavy shelves the woman had ordered them to put there a few days ago, preventing any way out.

Elena stepped forward.

Rester and Gevanni looked at each other, obviously sharing the same exact thought, and they rushed forward in perfect synchronisation, rounding the younger woman, blocking her way. She quirked an eyebrow at them.

"Uh, Cabestan. We'll take care of that. Just... wait here." Gevanni said hesitantly.

Her eyebrows furrowed even more, and after a moment' silence, she laughed loudly. "Oh, I see! You think pushing and pulling on the furniture could hurt my back?" She burst into laughter, and shaking her head, she walked past them and placed herself at one side of the large cupboard. "You're pathetic. Now stop treating me like a porcelain doll and come help me."

They were two, they were men, but still they both knew with one single look at Cabestan's twinkling eyes that there was no way to argue, so they did what they had been doing for the last few days; they obeyed.

With the added strength of the three of them, the furniture was withdrawn from the entry of the working room and put to the side successfully and rapidly. Elena, hands on her hips, stared at the closed door in a rather focused, thoughtful fashion. Though whatever she was thinking about, she was soon interrupted by a clear voice coming from behind them.

"It's done, Elena." Lidner declared, stopping at Cabestan's side. "The doors will open thanks to our badges as usual."

"Perfect." Elena clasped her hands together, then a red-nailed hand dived into her inside pocket, pulling out an electronic key. "Now we will enter the room together and greet our little champions."

* * *

Near was lost in black and white. The white of his clothes and hair, the black of Mello's chest, arms and hands snuggled against him.

A dull, powerful heat arose in the pit of his stomach, and he found that for once, that unexpected warmth was not unwelcome. Perhaps the air conditioner issues were not so important after all, now that he was here, in the arms of the man he thought was dead a year ago, his smooth lips pressing on his, sucking on his every breath.

Finally, he was complete.

Nonetheless, after a while, Mello pulled back a little, his hands still clutching on Near's back, his blue eyes staring down at him, and they looked like falling stars in the dawn sky.

One hand reached up to caress the milky skin of his cheek, and Near felt compelled to lean into the touch. The blonde exhaled softly, a shadow of a smile lightening his lips.

"In case you didn't get it, I love you too." He murmured, his gaze anchored into Near's dark eyes.

Before the younger detective realized it, a tiny little grin twitched his pale lips as obsidian orbs glowered at blue, and Mello's smile widened, mirroring his perfectly. A muffled chuckle escaped Mello's mouth, he shook his head as he was about to draw back, but was stopped by small hands grabbing his leather jacket, clinging to it like a lifeline. The blonde arched an amused eyebrow.

In response, Near pulled on the fabric, luring Mello's toned body to his, and without further explanation, he buried his snow head into Mello's chest. The latter sat there motionless, a hint of a smile plated on his lips as he looked down at the white silhouette huddled up against him. Then he raised his arms, curling them around the lean form of his former rival, whom he now knew had always been so much more.

He was stroking Near's back absently when his whole body startled. He glanced up at the entry of the working room, blinking in astonishment.

The doors had swung open to reveal a golden-haired woman, one hand on her hip, red lips distorted into a insufferable knowing smile, followed shortly by a blonde woman and the two men in black.

"All this time to confess your feelings to each other, we could as well have tortured you to do so you wouldn't have done it earlier..." Elena Cabestan began, her voice sickeningly sweet as she marched towards them. "And now you can't get your hands off each other. How cute."

"Don't start now, Cabestan." He growled, his grip on Near's frail body tightening, as if to protect the younger against Elena's snide remarks. "You must be glad. We did exactly what you wanted us to do."

"Oh, but I'm not complaining."

"So everything went according to plan, uh? That's why you finally opened the doors."

"Yes." She nodded, her voice regaining all the seriousness it usually carried. "You're free, and Near can retake command of the Headquarters. My job here..." She trailed off, lowering her gaze to Near's silhouette, whose back was still turned on her, and she smiled warmly, "...is done."

"What are you going to do, now?" The mafioso asked, tilting his head to the side, never ceasing to stroke Near's back as he spoke.

"Oh, I don't know." She shrugged. "Since another teacher took over my job at Philadelphia University of Law under L's orders so I could take this investigation instead, I suppose I have nothing to do in Philadelphia anymore. Perhaps I'll just go back to Paris and retake my course of Penal Law and Criminal Science at Pantheon-Sorbonne."

Mello frowned skeptically as he noticed Hal Lidner's body stiffening drastically at those words.

"You'd go back to see Lacombe?" He inquired, and judging by Hal's tensed features, he guessed he had asked the very question that tormented her mind.

"Lacombe?" Elena widened her eyes incredulously. "Of course not. She told you already: we completely lost contact after my kidnapping. She will never forgive me for giving up on her, and I'd not expect her to. It's better that way. I have nothing to do with her anymore."

"But why would you want to return to Paris then, if there is nothing waiting for you there?" Lidner cut in, eyeing the curled-haired woman expectantly.

The french woman sighed loudly, before she raised her head, her hazel eyes searching Hal's. "You all seem to forget one little detail... I'm French. I was born in Paris, I spent my whole childhood there, and even though I don't have only good memories there... it's still my home."

"I see." Lidner said coolly, averting Elena's amber eyes.

"Halle..."

"What?" The blonde snapped, turning away from the criminologist.

"I'll come visit you here once in a while."

Lidner puffed spitefully, folding her arms around her chest. "Don't make promises you cannot hold."

"Halle!" Elena yelled, lunging forward, her hand closing around Hal's. She pulled on it sharply, causing the blonde to turn around and face her. "Look at me." She continued calmly as she stepped forward, until they stood a few inches apart. "Look, I... I care about you." She looked down, then back up at her. "I will come back for you. You should know that I never broke a promise before. Ever."

Lidner stared at her in silence, but Cabestan seemed to have decided that silence was not enough for she leant closer, capturing Hal's lips into a deep, meaningful kiss.

Slowly, Near's locks moved and he detached himself from Mello's torso, peering at the two women from under the older man's chin which rested on top of his hair.

Finally, Elena released Hal's face and the blonde woman glared at her, blue eyes as wide as saucers, breath slightly heavy and ragged. "Do you trust me?" She asked.

"Yes." Hal answered without thinking.

"Well, then," the lawyer smirked provocatively, red-nailed fingers playing on Lidner's lips, "I'll make a few trips to United States to be sure you don't forget me."

"How could I forget you?" Lidner snorted as she reached up, seizing Elena's hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. And the two women simply stood there, face to face, blue eyes locked with brown, until a steady, neutral voice broke the silence.

"Miss Elena Cabestan will always be welcome here, at the SPM Headquarters." Near stated emotionlessly.

Mello looked down at him, and his gaze seemed to caress him with all the gentleness and tenderness it could muster. Elena and Hal whirled around, both grinning faintly at the world's greatest detective.

"Thank you, Near." Elena nodded in gratitude.

"When are you leaving?" Mello interrupted.

"I don't know. I won't be able to leave so soon since there won't be any ticket available, but I guess I'll have to take the next flight—"

"Tell me the date you wish to leave and I shall purchase the plane tickets for you, Miss Cabestan." Near cut her off plainly. "That is the least I can do, after all the disrupting and trouble I imposed on you."

"Oh yes, I forgot. Mister-I-have-many-connections will have no problem finding me a plane ticket whenever I want." Cabestan rolled her eyes pleasantly, and Mello scoffed. "Well, then I think I shall spent the following night here, but... how about tomorrow?"

"Very well. I shall get you one first class plane ticket for tomorrow, then."

A thick, uncomfortable silence took over the whole dark place. Near, oblivious to the general tension, was merely twirling his silver hair around his fingers, while Mello shot a quizzical glance at Hal Lidner, who was glaring daggers at the floor, and then at Elena Cabestan, who was looking sideways, taping a finger on her chin absently.

"Elena." Mello called, his voice stern and commanding. "How do you feel?"

That caused the french woman to look down at him in disbelief, eyebrows slightly furrowed. "What?"

"You think you led Kira and L to their death. You think you are the one to blame. So you brought us together to redeem yourself, 'cause you thought it'd make up for your past mistakes. And you did it, you paid your debt. So I'm asking you, _how do you feel_?"

For what seemed like an eternity, the lawyer's hazel eyes locked with Mello's blue ones, and she stayed quiet. Then, she lowered her gaze to the ground, crossing her arms around her chest, as if to shield herself from the world.

"I feel..." She said, her voice low and hoarse. "I feel free. And yet, I..." She finally allowed her flittering eyes to meet Mello's. "I've never felt so empty."

Mello frowned at the criminologist and sneaked a glance at Near, whose brows were mimicking his.

"What do you mean, Miss Cabestan?"

In response, the woman sighed and walked past Lidner and towards the two geniuses sitting on the ground, and settled herself right in front of them, kneeling before them.

"Near, Mello," She began, her lips distorting into a pained, melancholic smile as she looked from the blonde man to the albino, "if you are on your own today, without your idol, your mentor... without nobody to guide you, tell you what to do... It's because of me."

"Elena," Mello interrupted her, "you may think whatever you want, but you didn't kill L. Kira did."

"No." She shook her head. "The God of Death — Rem — did. Kira lured her into killing L. He didn't write his name down himself."

"Ah!" Mello huffed disdainfully. "He didn't even have the guts to kill L himself. Coward."

"How can you say that?" Cabestan almost whined. "Someone who's not willing to kill will never be a coward. He was simply human, Mello. He knew L had to die for him to succeed, but he couldn't resign himself to be the one who would take his life. At that time, with L still alive, Light was still human. But then, L died, and Light's last shred of humanity died with him. And it was all my fault." As she noticed Near and Mello's interrogating looks, she explained. "I was aware of the plan. The plan consisting in luring the Shinigami into killing L. I saw L for the last time the day before his death, all I had to do was tell him. I didn't even have to denounce Light, I could simply have told him about the Shinigami and he could have prevented his death. That would have saved both L and Light. But I wanted revenge. I wanted L to know what it was to beg for help and never get it. I wanted him to know what it felt to die alone."

"Alright. You withdrew informations that led to L's death. That part is clear." Mello answered hastily. "But what about Kira? Why do you say you caused his death too?"

"I told you about L's letter." The two detectives nodded at the same time, urging her to keep going. "He asked me to look after Kira. That's when I understood he viewed Light Yagami as much more than an enemy and suspect. My plan worked: L died in silence, misunderstood, unable to speak his feelings. I succeeded." She laughed sarcastically.

"So now all I had to do was destroy Kira. I soon found out it wasn't so difficult, for he was already destroyed inside. But my role consisted in showing him _why_ his heart — or at least, what was left of it — was torn into pieces. It was very simple, really. He was mental, all I had to do to break his walls down was to bring back L to life in front of him, taking his place, acting exactly like he did. That was the point of my little masquerade I told you about, when I mimicked L in front of Light. And it worked. It broke him completely. He understood he had lost everything by killing L, he understood he had lost himself. L died in his arms, and Light was left alone, surviving, suffering the loss of the person he loved and yet could never fully understand. It was perfect."

A twisted smile danced across her red blood lips.

"Now that he was destroyed on the inside, he had to be annihilated." When she met Mello's understanding gaze, she seemed to read his mind, and she shook her head to contradict his thought. "No. Not for the world's well-being. I didn't care about the public security. All I cared about was my revenge. At first, I hated him for his pride and selfishness, he reminded me too much of L. Then I started to like him for his flaws and insecurities that no one else could see. Yet, I had to give the coup de grace. For the Bells Ringer, for Esmeralda, for L, and for himself. I had to make sure L's successors would succeed in catching him. And then, that would be the end of Kira. The end of everything."

Mello widened his eyes in shock. "What— What do you mean you had to make sure we succeeded? You didn't— You never talked to us! You never helped us!"

Elena Cabestan chuckled darkly, her amber eyes glowering in the shadows of the working room. "Do you remember how you came up with a plan to survive Takada and her piece of Death Note?"

"Yeah, it was that girl Matt told me about. She used to put her money into her bra, 'cause that was the place no one would search. That gave me the idea to ask Lidner to change the piece of notebook Takada kept in her bra and put a normal piece of paper instead. But what—"

"Mello." Near's icy voice cut in. "Do you remember anything else that woman might have told your friend Matt?"

Mello caught Elena's smirk and Near's black piercing eyes, and he quirked an eyebrow.

 _Those two look like they know something I don't..._

"Uh..." He frowned in an effort to remember what his friend once told him about that strange girl. "Yeah. She said she was kinda paranoid, so when she was given something, she always checked if it was what it was supposed to be... She said appearances were often deceptive, and you can never be too careful." He paused, and something in his mind clicked into place. "That's how I thought the Death Note Mikami used when being followed by Gevanni must be fake, so when Near would attempt to modify its content, it wouldn't work. Then I came with the plan of kidnapping Takada to expose the real notebook and then preventing her from using the Death Note."

Near nodded as if he just understood something only him could fathom, and Elena simply smiled. The blonde stared at them both, perplexed.

"But what—" He stopped as Cabestan's hand dug inside her jacket, sliding in her cleavage and under her shirt. He followed her hand with bewildered eyes until the fingers got out of the white fabric, holding what looked like a crumbled pink piece of thin paper.

Red-nailed fingers placed the paper on the floor, right before him. As soon as he laid eyes on the mysterious object, everything was crystal clear.

It was a ten euro banknote. Coming straight out of the woman's bra.

"No." He gaped at the criminologist who was now smiling at the banknote. "It's not— You can't... You're not..."

"Oh, but yes I am." Elena laughed, and the sound was light, bewitching. "The girl who delivered all these tips to your best friend Matt... The girl who hid her money into her bra and examined all the objects she was given... It was me."

"I-I can't believe it!" He stuttered. "But you... you are Matt's ex then?!" He almost shouted, and the lawyer burst into laughter.

"Of course not! I simply met him in a bar one night. He told me his best friend was obsessed with his childhood rival— very curious, indeed," she met Near's blinking eyes as she arched an ironic eyebrow, "and he, the best pal Matt, was left on his own. And who better than a young beautiful woman to cheer him up?"

Mello glowered at her, his eyes throwing lightning bolts.

"Relax, Mello. I simply shared one, two, three, four — or perhaps was it five? — drinks with him and we talked. A lot. That's when I told him about those little whims of mine, for I knew he would find it amusing and repeat it to you. And then, if you were as clever as your reputation told me so, your brain would think over what it had learnt, and you would come up with a plan. Without even noticing where it came from."

"But... how? How did you know where we were? Who he was? I mean, that we were L's successors?"

"Light Yagami." Was the only answer Mello got, but seeing as he looked more confused than ever, Elena went on. "He had your full name. And as for Matt, you remember about my friend working in Interpol and in the french secret services? I admit, he helped me a bit to find your friend Matt, though it was difficult to lure him into helping me. He was sure I wanted to find Matt because I fancied him. Nonsense." She sighed, raising a hand to her forehead. "Anyway, it was not complicated for him to do a quick research about you and find your current location. Sorry to tell you that, Mello, but you are no match for a secret agent, especially not for my friend Baptiste Langlet. All I had to do then was waiting for your friend to tire of you and get out of the building. I didn't wait for too long, I must add..."

"I see." Mello put his head down. "So all I did back then, thinking I'd found a plan to defeat Kira and save Near... it was just an illusion. You were the mastermind behind it all. You manipulated me!"

"No. I simply allowed the idea to raise into your mind. You could have dismissed it, or came up with a total different plan. There were many outcomes possible. I knew you were smart and that you would find a way to beat Kira... _together_." Her brown eyes slid from Mello to Near, then back to Mello, as if to embrace them both. "But I had to make sure you would not be another victim of this massacre. And I..." She sucked in her breath.

All of a sudden, she stretched out a hand and seized Mello's shoulder, squeezing it fiercely.

"I am so glad you're still alive, Mello. And you, Near, too." Her voice was so quiet, slightly rasped, as she placed her free hand on Near's bent knee. "I already stole your idol, your guardian, the only father figure you ever knew... I couldn't tear you two apart. Not _you_." The more she talked, the more airy and cracked her voice became. "You were innocent. You had nothing to do with the war that opposed L and myself. Just like you had nothing to do with the war between L and Kira. I'm sure you never even wanted to inherit of that case. If L wasn't dead, you would never have bothered yourself with Kira. You would simply have carried on with your childhood, because that's what every child should do. But most of all..." Her voice broke as she looked up. Her eyes were glassy and veiled with regret, remorse, and probably a thousand more emotions no one could identify.

"You had nothing to do with my revenge, and yet you were caught up in games of wits, arrogance and bloodlust against your free will. But you couldn't pay for L's mistakes. Nor for mine. It would be so cruel, so unfair. You were just kids! You were innocent. You were... just like me... like Esmeralda." Her voice died in her throat. Mello flinched slightly at the mention of the Bells Ringer's last victim. "I already took L from you. I was so blinded by hatred and vengeance. I won't ask for your forgiveness, though. I was even worst than him. Worst than the monster that made me. Can you believe that? I took so much from you. You're orphans, you're on your own, you're all alone, you don't know how to care, you don't know how to love... and it's because of me!"

Her nails dug into the fabric of both Near's pants and Mello's leather jacket as her grip tightened on the former's knee and the latter's shoulder. The blonde cast a worried glance at the golden-haired woman who had now her head bent downwards, however he could not resign himself to answer. Near seemed to take it upon himself to speak on the behalf of the two successors.

"Miss Cabestan." The new L began in a bland voice. "You must not bother yourself with such useless feelings as resentment. You are not without knowing that L was probably one of the cleverest men on earth, as a consequence I am sure he had the means to escape his upcoming death, with or without your help. Yet, the results are there: he died." He paused, as if assuring his words were sinking into everyone's brain. "And after all... If you can't beat the game, if you can't solve the puzzle, you're nothing but a looser."

Mello froze. He stole a glance at the snow-haired boy, but remained silent.

 _It's the exact same thing he said when Roger told us L was dead... It's been so long since then, so many things happened... Why does it feel so faraway?_

"L lost because I wanted him to, Near." Elena responded coldly. "And I can't change that. That's why I tried to redeem myself by helping you, his successors, but... What is done is done. I can't bring L back, I can't bring Kira back, and I suppose it's better that way. Still..." She sighed, closing her eyes momentarily. "I can't help but feel like I failed you both." Dark amber eyes opened to catch Near's large obsidian orbs, then Mello's bright blue.

"That is enough, Miss Cabestan." Near cut in, his voice more firm and loud as his black eyes bore into Cabestan's. "You are the only one who succeeded in bringing Mello and myself together. The only one who managed to turn an everlasting rivalry into a now quite blossomed... _affection_. The only one who could rewrite the story, preventing fate to repeat itself over and over again. Is that not enough for you, _Esmeralda_?" He emphasized the nickname as if there were poison on his tongue.

All of a sudden, Elena's miserable expression faded as if it never existed, leaving room for only disdain and spite.

"Of course it would be enough for you." She spat as she rose to her feet, quickly creating a fair distance between her and the two detectives sitting on the floor. "You never cared for nothing but your own best interests, didn't you? You got your lover back, so nothing else matters now. L, Matt, Watari, Kira, the Bells Ringer, Esmeralda, they all were pawns on your board, only there to lead you to your ultimate goal, your dear beloved _Mello_." Twinkling amber eyes fell upon the former mafioso, slicing him up. "Collateral damage, that's what they were, what I am. Nothing more, nothing less. You got what you wanted so now it's over, hm?" She laughed mirthlessly. "Well, I suppose it'll be _enough_ then. I can't give you anything else anyway, and even if I could, I'm not sure I'd be willing to. After all, you two are nothing but L's pale copy, the products of his cruel genius factory. I paid my debt to you. I'm done. _I_ 've got enough."

The french woman whirled around in a swift gesture, ready to leave the boys where they were, staring up at her in frozen bafflement. A plain, blank voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Miss Cabestan, you are probably the bravest woman I have ever met."

The criminologist did not say a word but remained glued to the place, clenching her fists in concealed rage, head cast downwards. Then, surprisingly enough, the heavy silence was broken by a husky, rough laugh.

"Snape."

"What?" Elena and Near had spoken in the same voice.

The curled-haired woman turned around to look at Mello, brows furrowed in incomprehension. "What in the hell are you saying, Mello?"

"Didn't you read the overly famous Harry Potter saga, Cabestan?" He asked, his thin lips curled up into a smug smirk.

"I did," she replied bluntly, her brows knitted together, "but I really don't see the link."

"The last movie's just been released this summer."

"Mello," Near said gravely, "for once, I agree with Miss Cabestan. Could you please get back to the point?"

Lidner, Gevanni and Rester had disregarded the possibility to understand the conversation between the three geniuses since quite some time already, and seing that Elena and Near seemed just as lost as they were only confirmed their decision.

After a long, bored look shared in consensual weariness, the three original SPM members went about their business which were assigned to them by Near as soon as he took charge of the Headquarters again. Stephen Gevanni attended to the statement he was charged to write and send to the New York City police, assuring that the New York City M.N. Murder Case was now closed since L managed to catch the criminal who killed the three children. Anthony Rester returned to the report of the advancement and ending of the New York City M.N. Murder Case that was destined to Roger, who was still overseeing the Wammy's House in Manchester.

Hal Lidner — or Halle Bullook — on the other hand, lips pursed and arms tightly folded, chose to take care of the french lawyer's return plane tickets, assuming that the sooner she attended to the task, the better.

"My point is," answered Mello in a matter-of-fact tone, "Cabestan makes me think of Professor Snape. You know, that apparently cold, proud, callous teacher that sacrificed everything to pay his debt. Harry Potter said he was the bravest man he'd ever known... like what you just told Elena, Near."

Once again, the dim-lit room was plunged in silence. Near was twirling silver hair around his index finger, his huge dark eyes fixed upon his partner who had stood up to level with Cabestan. The latter had wound up her arms around her chest, turning her head to the left, choosing to focus on Lidner rather than meeting Mello's searching eyes.

"Mello." The snow-haired man finally spoke in his usual void voice. "I am afraid I fail to see what—"

"Of course you do." Mello cut in, restraining a joyless chuckle. Then, reporting his attention to the golden-haired woman in front of him, he smiled ruthlessly. "But I think Cabestan got it. Didn't you, Elena? You never thought of making the comparison before, but now that you face it, you can't deny it. Many similarities, aren't there?"

Elena Cabestan kept her mouth firmly shut.

"Mello." Near called him for what seemed like the hundredth time, though he didn't sound tired of his vain efforts in the slightest. "Could you please explain your thoughts at last?"

"Alright." Mello sighed, stealing a glance at his co-worker. "Elena blamed herself for causing L's and Kira's death, right? She hated L, she was blinded by her thirst for revenge. But she knew deep inside they didn't deserve to die. So when you asked for help, she found her chance at redemption. _We_ are her redemption, Near." He added, looking down at the white silhouette crouched on the floor. "Just like Harry was Snape's."

Near slowly raised his head, dark huge orbs blinking up at Mello. Sighing again, Mello turned to Elena Cabestan who still refused to meet his gaze.

"You know what I'm talking about, Cabestan." He said, his voice getting a bit softer. "For all your life, you've been a victim. You never stopped fighting and instead of seeking refuge in dark magic obviously, you sought refuge in revenge." He scoffed just as he spotted a wry smile flashing under the woman's golden curls. "But your actions had consequences you hadn't foreseen — consequences that had an impact on us, innocent kids — and you wanted to make up for your mistakes. That's why you came here. You devoted your life to protect us. That's where you were wrong in kidnapping her, Near." He glanced back at the latter from above his shoulder. "Because Cabestan'd already done her research about us. She'd already planned to find us and help us. If you hadn't kidnap her, she would have come to us anyway. Am I right, Cabestan?"

Silence was the only answer he got. However, after a quite long while, the young woman looked up, bright brown eyes gleaming through her golden hair. She smiled, as cheerful as a funeral, and eventually her lips parted to let a whisper pass through.

"Yes."

Mello nodded in satisfaction, beaming back at her.

"I see. I suppose that would make sense." Near intervened, leaning his head to the side as if thinking out loud as he focused his attention on Mello. "But who is that Professor Snape?"

The mafioso and the lawyer shared an amused look, before Mello hit his forehead with his palm. "You really need to read Harry Potter, Near."

Elena Cabestan only laughed, while the new L peered at her curiously.

 _Who is that Harry Potter, I wonder._

* * *

"Checkmate." Near said neutrally, as if he were merely declaring that the Earth is round.

"Damn it!" Came Mello's angry growl. "You always win, it's... annoying." He puffed, his blonde bangs floating above his forehead.

"Mello, we have already discussed this assertion and agreed that it was actually false. Let us not fall into this sterile debate again."

Mello grinned at him as he put the chessboard aside, giving himself room to scoot closer to the white-haired boy sitting before him.

"Right. We've better things to do, uh?" He purred, the corner of his lips twitching upwards.

Near's eyes widened in puzzlement as Mello reached up to stroke his cheek ever so smoothly, a tender smile painted on his pink lips.

Rester and Gevanni were both sitting in their respective chairs at their usual place in front of a glowing computer screen. The only women of the building were currently taking a shower in their apartment, alone or together, one could only guess. Nonetheless, that left the two male SPM members alone in the same room with the company of the two geniuses. They looked at each other in quiet, wordless discomfort as they were eating their salad box in silence, daring some sneak peeks at the two detectives. Eventually, Commandant Rester chose to express his thoughts aloud.

"Do you think it's a good thing?" He asked, cautious to maintain his voice low as he gestured towards the two younger men with a tilt of his chin.

"Actually, I never thought I'd say that one day, but..." The dark-haired man's eyes followed Rester's gaze. "Yes, I think it is. It's just like Cabestan said. Separately, they're equals. But together, they surpass L. No criminal will resist them."

"I guess you're right, but I wasn't talking about cooperation in investigation. What about their... relationship?"

Gevanni smiled discreetly as he looked back at his co-worker. "It's all the same. When they're apart, they're frustrated, angry, nasty. They're incomplete, you see. That's why I think they should remain side by side. Because together, it's like all the pieces of a puzzle colliding to form a whole. And a complete whole is always more beautiful, more effective than split, scattered pieces, right?"

"Hm-hm..." Rester mumbled, his eyes going back to Mello and Near who were now sitting very close to each other. "Headquarters will never be the same now, won't it?"

"No, it won't." Gevanni's lips stretched. "For the first time in this building, there will be happiness... and love."

Rester's head jolted up, piercing blue eyes finding Gevanni's grey ones. Then, defeated, he nodded solemnly.

"Yes, I suppose that's the best we could wish him." He whispered as he glanced at the two former rivals who were now bent over a black and white puzzle, Near leaning against Mello's chest, the blonde's arms circling the younger's chest, his slender hands working over the jigsaw. Gevanni swore he saw the ghost of a smile lingering on the Commandant's lips as the latter spoke his final words, in an unusual gentle voice.

"I guess we'll count another member, then." He said quietly, his eyes laying on the two entwined shapes on the floor. "Near deserves it. No. He _needs_ it."

Stephen Gevanni could not suppress the genuine smile that tugged at his lips as he stared at his partner.

 _Yes, Rester. It took you long enough, but you finally accepted it. Whether you like it or not, here lies the truth._

 _Mello and Near are meant to be together._ _And by realizing that, before it was too late..._

 _Elena Cabestan saved those boys._

* * *

The French woman was standing in front of the bay windows, her eyes reflecting the twinkling skyscrapers that cut the darkening dusk horizon, one glass filled with a crimson liquid in her right hand.

 _There it is, L. I got my revenge. You died. Kira died. And your two little protégés survived.  
_ _I hope you will find peace where you are, among the murderers you tried to catch, but most of all, with the one you could never catch._

She startled as she felt lean arms wrapping around her waist, but it took her no time to guess whose limbs it were and relax, leaning back against the most welcome embrace.

"Halle..." She sighed in pure solace. "I confess I'm going to miss you."

The blonde chuckled and the sound sent vibrations in her throat which reverberated through Elena's neck.

"I hope you will." Halle said gently as she nuzzled Cabestan's neck. "I suppose it's useless for me to ask to accompany you...?" She added quietly, her voice swallowed by Elena's curls.

"Halle." The criminologist called sternly, almost reproachfully as she turned around, causing the blonde's arms to fall to the small of her back as they came face to face. "You're working for Near — well, now it'll be Near and Mello, I guess — and I'm working for the french public service. We can't stay together, you know that."

"Yes, I know." Lidner replied, her voice as sharp as a knife. "So you'll simply go back to your dear home country and forget everything that ever happened here, within those walls ?"

"Oh no." The lawyer scoffed sarcastically as she reached up, sliding her hands around the blonde's neck, tangling her long fingers in blonde strands. "I can forgive, but never forget. That has always been my motto. In that case, I could never forget what happened in New York, with Near, Mello, the children, the Bells Ringer Case, and... with you." She finished in a whisper, bending forward, resting her head on the older woman's chest.

Without thinking, the SPM agent enclosed the golden-haired woman's silhouette into her arms, taking in a deep breath.

"You know, I've been proposed a contract with New York University School of Law." Elena muttered into Hal's shirt. "I refused last year because I wanted to work in a smaller city, but next year, perhaps..." She raised her head, allowing mischevious hazel eyes to lock with blue. "Perhaps I'll come and teach Criminal Sciences to those idiots New Yorkers." She smirked, and Halle couldn't help but respond to her smile.

"That would be so nice of you, _Professor_." Lidner sneered, slithering a pale hand into golden curls.

Elena leant into the touch, her eyes fluttering closed. Then, without further ado, she grabbed the blonde's shirt collar, pulling on the white fabric fiercely, drawing the other woman towards her in a desperately violent move. Lidner could not hide the surprise that sipped from her every feature.

She gasped as she felt scarlet lips brushing against hers. "Halle..." Elena purred, and their breaths merged together. "I want you."

Lidner's strong arms imprisoned Cabestan's body, pressing it against hers harder. "Then take me." She retorted just as heatedly.

And their body obeyed their mind in perfect synchronization. Elena closed the gap between them and her lips crashed on Halle's with no restraint, while her nails dug into the blonde's scalp. Halle did not waste time to kiss her back, her hands sliding under the other woman's blazer and shirt on their own accord, where they came in contact with the sensitive, damaged skin of her marked back.

Elena let escape a muffled cry that was instantly swallowed by her lover's lips, but didn't do anything to stop the blonde, on the contrary, she devoured the other's lips even more eagerly, her hands fisting Lidner's hair mercilessly.

After what seemed like an eternity of sucks and bites, Halle pulled away, leaving her partner and herself panting for breath.

"I... was... wondering..." The former CIA agent managed to sputter between raged breaths as her hands roamed Elena's back in a feather-like touch. "How... How can you be so... at ease with your body? After what you... went through?"

The french lawyer smiled faintly at that, but she didn't perform the slightest gesture to free herself from Lidner's grasp. "What I went through is precisely the reason why I'm so at ease, like you say." She answered quietly as her hands fidgeted with Halle's blonde locks. "It's because I've been raped that I had to get comfortable with my body. It's just like what you tell a kid who falls from their horse while practicing horse riding: if you don't ride right after your fall, you'll never overcome your fear. Well, I applied that philosophy to myself."

As she earned nothing but an astonished glare, the criminologist found it necessary to develop her thoughts.

"Right after my release from the hospital, I slept with a total of..." She paused, as if counting in her head. "twelve men and women in one week. I thought that if I waited for too long, I'd have let fear, disgust and shame overpower me, and that was the last thing I wanted. Also, I was convinced that closing on myself would mean the Bells Ringer and L had managed to destroy me, while using it for my best interests would mean getting back the control I'd lost to the Bells Ringer. So instead of shutting myself from the world, I decided to open up even more. And then, I started to have more and more affairs. But you already know that, thanks to our dear Mello's researches."

"But... what about protection? What about AIDS and other sexually transmissible diseases? What about contraception?"

At those words, Elena Cabestan burst into laughter. "Contraception? Contraception, you say?" She struggled to talk between mad fits of laughter. "How naive you can be, Halle."

"Well," the blonde frowned, "you must admit your behavior was not very safe, Elena. What if you became pregnant and—"

"No need to worry about that." Elena cut her off icily, her dark brown eyes boring into hers. "You know rape can leave permanent damages, right? Well..." She trailed off, her voice suddenly quieter. "My reproductive organs have been damaged to no repair. My uterus is no longer able to carry a foetus. To be perfectly clear..." She added in a painful neutral tone as her eyes seemed to darken the more she spoke.

"I can't have children, Halle."

* * *

"We shall escort you to the airport tomorrow afternoon, Miss Cabestan."

Near stated plainly as his pale hand hovered above a completely blank puzzle. All eyes converged to him, every SPM agents looking up from their meal.

"You don't have to, you know." Elena Cabestan said pleasantly. "Halle could take me—"

"We all know she already took you..." Mello muttered, his mouth hidden behind a chocolate bar.

 ** _Croc._**

Cabestan winced at the sound. "What did you say?"

"Nothing." He waved a hand dismissively, his gaze fixed upon the snow-haired boy's back. "Nothing."

"I insist." The world's greatest detective continued, impervious to Mello and Cabestan's heckling. "I kidnaped you, Miss Cabestan. The least I can do is assuring that you come back to your country safely."

"Well, then," the curled-haired woman shrugged nonchalantly, reporting her focus on the salmon wrap she held between her hands, "why not."

"Very well." Near disentangled his fingers from his white hair to place another piece on the board. "Then we shall leave the Headquarters at one twenty-five pm. Meanwhile, Mello will stay here to—"

"No." The person in question interrupted him firmly.

 _ **Croc.**_

"No?" Near's hand froze in mid-hair, silver locks rattling as he turned his head to peer at his partner over his shoulder.

"If you go, I'll go."

"Mello, this will not be necessary—"

"I don't care." The blonde cut him off again as he rose from his chair and settled down at Near's right side. "I spent four years waiting for you. And now that I've finally found you, I wanna make up for the time lost. I just..." He sighed, glancing away from Near's penetrating black orbs. "I just want to be by your side... as often as possible."

The younger detective blinked at him in bewilderment. Then he reached up, placing a soft, hesitant hand on Mello's injured cheek, caressing the smooth skin there. Mello trembled at the touch, but he did not break eye contact. And Near suddenly seemed to realize that the man sitting before him was really beautiful at this very instant, as if he had never seen him before. Without thinking, he leant in closer and his lips found Mello as if it was where they always meant to be.

It was light, it was fleeting, it was cold... but it was magic.

 _Near... Near is kissing me._

Mello's brain was starting to short-circuit, but it didn't prevent him for responding to the other boy's lips. Soon enough, they parted, but Near didn't pull away.

"As you wish, Mello." He whispered against Mello's lips. Then, as if nothing ever happened, he whirled around on his knees to turn to his puzzle, leaving a flabbergasted Mello behind.

"Alright." The lawyer's serene voice brought the blonde back to reality and he glared up at her, his eyes still unfocused. "So you'll be both coming. I mean, not coming like... _coming_. But coming like..." She coughed awkwardly, stealing a glance at Near's immobile silhouette. "Well, you got it."

"Cabestan!" Mello growled in concealed fury, and as he was about to stand and release his anger on her, he was forced to stillness by his co-worker's cool, neutral voice.

"Ah. That is troublesome."

"What's troublesome?" Mello asked, placing himself behind the white back, glancing at the detective's motionless hands above the puzzle. The jigsaw was almost completed... except for a tiny hole at the center of the board.

"A piece is missing." Near answered sternly, obsidian eyes glued to the puzzle. "And I cannot find it."

Indeed, there was no puzzle pieces left at Near's feet, meaning that he had already placed all the pieces he had at disposition. Rester, Lidner and Gevanni looked at the small gap in confusion, while Cabestan only arched an eyebrow. At the general surprise, Mello chuckled quietly. Then, he sank a hand beneath his leather jacket.

"Ah, that's annoying indeed." He snickered, pulling out his hand, showing his lean fingers wrapped around a tiny black object. Then, he circled Near's waist with his arms, placing the small piece right under the younger's nose. "Looking for this?"

Near's onyx eyes widened at the sight of the object which revealed itself to be the last lost puzzle piece. What was most astounding was that the piece was not white like all its peers, but rather a dark, intense black.

"How... How did you find it?" Near inquired, clearly perplexed, his petite hands closing around Mello's. "Why is it black?"

Mello laughed as he grabbed Near's right hand tightly in his, then guided it towards the jigsaw. Together, hands interlocked, they put the last missing piece on the puzzle, filling the gap.

"It lacked a little bit of black, don't you think?" He murmured into Near's ear. "After all, what's white without black?" He tightened his grip around the younger's waist as he deposed a flying kiss on Near's neck, right under his ear. He smiled delightfully against the creamy skin as he felt his lover shiver under his contact. " _What am I without you_?" His voice was barely a whisper, so only Near could hear it.

"Well." The silver-haired boy declared suddenly, fiercely, his eyes laying on the whole jigsaw. A tiny smirk was distorting his bloodless lips gracefully as his hands took hold of Mello's, interlacing their fingers, putting them on the final, complete puzzle.

"It seems I cannot finish the puzzle without you."

* * *

"They should be a little more... subtle." Anthony Rester groaned under his breath.

Stephen Gevanni turned his head to him, quirking an eyebrow. Then, following the older man's gaze, he spotted the source of his embarrassment. Before them stood one small white-dressed boy, one hand digging into his hair, twirling a strand, the other dangling swiftly at his side, sometimes brushing against that of a much taller blonde, black leather-dressed man. The two men were walking side by side, much too close to be mere friends or brothers. But the worst was the two women walking ahead of them, for they were much more explicit about what transpired between them. A red-nailed hand was clearly intertwined with a thin, longer one. And the constant knowing glances those two fair-haired women were exchanging certainly left not much to the imagination.

Still, Gevanni was pretty much unfazed by the four silhouettes walking ahead of him towards the checking counters of the Air France company.

"Well, I suppose they don't really care about what people may think of them." He replied calmly, then, furrowing his eyebrows at his colleague, "Do you, Rester?"

"I..." The blonde agent sneaked a peek at the two couples before him, then glanced back at the dark-haired man. "No, of course. I don't."

Gevanni nodded in appreciation, and there ended the discussion.

Elena Cabestan managed to check-in her luggage rather quickly, not without receiving several suspicious glares from curious stewards and stewardesses who all seemed to think that this woman accompanied by three black clad agents wearing suits and two odd-looking, inseparable boys could not be a normal woman. The criminologist was thrilled to answer their silent questions with a sly grin and malicious words such as "What's wrong? Never saw a beautiful woman before?" At her greatest pleasure, she earned numerous ashamed stuttering and flushed cheeks, equally coming from men and women.

Soon enough, the little atypical group found itself facing the police enforcement which gave access to the airport gates, and consequently, to Elena's plane. People were already gathering in lines, queuing in front of the security checkpoints. Elena stopped in her tracks, causing Lidner to pause as well. Then, she turned on her heels, facing the two successors. Warm hazel eyes floated from Mello's icy blue eyes to Near's dark orbs before she took a step forward, a feeble smile painted on her scarlet lips.

"Near, Mello." She called slowly as she approached the two detectives. "I am glad to have met you. I would rather it would be in different circumstances, but well, we can't change the past. Just... promise me something, will you?" As she met interrogating pairs of eyes, she took in a deep breath before continuing. "Never forget to express your feelings. I've done so much for you to finally understand each other... So please, don't let my efforts go to waste. Also..." She stepped forward, then reaching up, she put her left hand on Near's shoulder and her right on Mello's. "Matt was right. Everything is over. Now you only have each other. So honor L's memory, Matt's, Watari's, mine... and learn to live together. Surpass L, and do the only thing he could never do."

She propped herself on her tiptoes to place a kiss on Mello's forehead, then she gave the same treatment to Near, before backing away and eyeing the two puzzled boys protectively, almost adoringly.

"Love." She said, and her voice was never so delicate, so tender.

The two detectives stared at her in awe for a while, before Mello's hand joined Near's, lacing their fingers together. He was the first one to say loudly, proudly, "I will."

Soon after, Near nodded and declared in his clear voice, "I will."

Elena bowed slightly then, turning to the two rigid black-wearing men, "Gevanni, Rester. I thank you for your cooperation. Now I'm asking you to watch over those two. I won't be there for them anymore, but they won't need me." Her lips lifted upwards ever so slightly. "You're loyal and truthful. I am counting on you."

The two men exchanged a glance, and their eyes seemed to speak for themselves. _We shall protect them until the very end._ Turning their head back to Cabestan, they nodded solemnly, acceptance to which Elena responded with a similar tilt of her head. Suddenly, she felt a sharp tug on her hand. Smirking, she glanced up at the author of that much appreciated pressure.

"So this is goodbye, then." She addressed Lidner, raising her hand to stroke the blonde's cheek sweetly. In response, Halle slid an arm around the curled-haired woman's waist, drawing the woman closer.

"If you don't come back..." She bent forward, stopping as her mouth was mere inches away from Elena's. "I'll find you..." She said lowly, dangerously, her breath tickling Cabestan's inviting lips. "And I'll kill you."

The french woman chuckled darkly, then fisting her hand into Halle's blonde bangs, "No." She muttered, her lips brushing Lidner's so faintly it was infuriating. "I'll find you, and I'll _kiss_ you." At those words, the SPM agent's mind snapped and she broke the insufferable distance, claiming Elena's lips in a deep, hungry kiss.

The two women seemed to remember the emergency of the situation and pulled away reluctantly. Their hands found each other for a few seconds, then they withdrew slowly, fingertips still clinging to the hope of a future. A future together.

"Goodbye, Halle." Elena said quietly, then turning to Mello and Near. "Goodbye, _L_."

And she moved away, heading towards the queue. Then, a much unexpected voice spoke again, cold, but yet somehow gentle.

"We will meet again, _Esmeralda_."

Elena Cabestan stayed quiet as she walked towards the checkpoint, but the wide, sincere smile that stretched her lips told more than her silence.

* * *

 **New York University School of Law, 3rd of September, 2012.**

"Ladies and gentlemen, hello."

The deep rumble that was comprised of whispers and mumbling died at once as a black clad curled-haired woman spoke into the microphone.

"I am Professor Elena Cabestan." She said confidently, her hands folded on the pulpit. "As I am sure you all read your timetables, you must know I will be teaching you Criminal Science during this semester."

Penetrating brown eyes scanned the assistance, until her gaze fell upon a small figure sitting at the back of the auditorium. She frowned as she spotted what looked like a very thick book in the figure's hands. She shook her head, averting her eyes from that insolent student.

"You must have noticed my french accent already." Her glimmering eyes met those of a trembling, mesmerized student at the first rank, and she smirked. "Though I know you americans find that accent sexy, so I guess I should use that accent with pride rather than shame."

The flustered student averted her gaze in panic, gulping quietly. The french lawyer's lips widened.

"So, now that I have introduced myself... Before I start the actual lesson, I must remind you some of the rules which shall lead my teaching here all along this semester we will have the pleasure— at least, I hope—" Her piercing eyes flickered to the still reading man at the far end of the hall, and her brows furrowed madly, "to spend together."

''First, I do not tolerate any delayed arrival. When the class begins, the doors will be shut and you'll have to wait until the next hour to enter." She declared, her voice suddenly tough and authoritative. ''Secondly, I hate noise while I am talking, so if you are not willing to listen to me, you'll simply have to leave, by will or by force. Thirdly..." She trailed off, glaring at the odd student who was still ignoring her blatantly. "The thing that I absolutely can't stand is people interrupting—''

Her computer screen turned white on its own accord, then the very same familiar image that appeared on her private screen flashed on the giant screen hanging on the ceiling behind her, by the means of a projector she had not even activated. As soon as her gaze fell on the screen, she froze. Before she had time to recover from her shock though, a cool, mechanical voice filled the entire amphitheater, causing all the students to gape in puzzlement.

 ** _[Professor Cabestan.]_**

Her hands clasped together desperately, her eyes growing as big as saucers.

 ** _[It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.]_**

She dared not look at her audience which surely was just as perplexed as she was, so she simply stared at the glowing black and white picture in awe.

 _No. This can't be..._

 _ **[This is L.]** _ The voice announced solemnly, and it sounded more low, more loud, as if there were two voices combined in one. **_[I apologize about that inappropriate manner of reaching to you, Professor. But I am sure you will understand my course of action as soon as you will know why I am addressing you.]_**

"What do you want, L?" She asked quietly, but her voice echoed in the whole auditorium thanks to the microphone.

 _ **[Listen to me very carefully, Professor. Please do exactly as I say. Command the leave of all the students present in the amphitheater in the most quick and peaceful way.]**_

She clenched her fists, putting her head down to close her eyes for a brief instant, pondering the best thing to do. Then, she looked up, her gaze flying over the whole room, as if to include all the students in her silence plea. She leant her head closer to speak directly into the microphone in a clear, distinct voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she began, her voice soft but nonetheless firm, "I am sorry but I must interrupt this course right now."

A general hubbub took over the assistance and she raised a hand to require silence.

"I apologize for the disturbance. I assure you that we will catch up with the lesson in the following weeks. Please check your timetable regularly." Her eyes wandered around the dozens of benches, and she continued, imperturbable. "I will now ask you to evacuate the auditorium as calmly and quietly as possible. Thank you for your attention."

In one single gesture, all the students stood up, groaning and complaining about how that french Professor was deliberately fooling them, making them come early in the morning only to dismiss them ten minutes after. The Professor remained settled on her chair, waiting patiently for all the young men and women to leave her alone with whatever farce she was facing. Soon enough, all the benches were deserted and she reported her attention on the computer screen. However, the white picture with an elegant L at its center had vanished and her computer seemed to have switched off as if by magic.

Sighing, she reached up to rub at her temples, but her hand froze in mid air at the hearing of a very familiar, infuriating noise.

 ** _Croc._**

Ever so slowly, she raised her head, searching the huge hall once again, until she found the only possible source of the sound. At the very back of the auditorium, on the left, stood a slim, slender blonde-haired figure all dressed in black, one hand pressed to his mouth. Completely aghast, the woman stood up and, circling the pulpit, she climbed down the stairs, not looking away from the far-off silhouette once.

"No." She gasped. "That's impossible..."

As she got closer, she spotted a flash of bright teeth. The bonde man was smiling down at her. Suddenly, he seemed to wake from his torpor and started descending towards her. Her mouth opened to speak, but she was stopped by a ruffling noise coming from the opposite direction. Her head jerked up, and her eyes widened.

Down the other row of stairs was a tiny, frail white figure, slowing making its way towards her, its pale hands clutching a large book to its belly, mirroring the moves of its black fellow.

Completely at loss, the criminologist could do nothing but glance alternatively at the snow-white silhouette and at the leather-wearing man as they both joined her at the foot of the professorship. Side by side now they stood, facing her, the taller of the two glowering at her, his lips distorted into a satisfied smile, while the smaller was simply staring at her with empty black eyes, one finger twirling silver hair while the other was still clinging to the mysterious book.

Without really knowing why, her gaze lowered to the book pressed against the younger's body, and for the first time since the unexpected arrival of these two ghosts of the past, she smiled.

 _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince._

She chuckled lightly as she finally met Near's impenetrable orbs, then Mello's icy blue eyes.

"Mello, Near." She greeted them, an amused smirk tugging at her red lips.

"Hello, Cabestan." Mello replied cheerfully. A sharp noise coming from upwards cut the exchange short, and a smooth, deep voice filled Elena's ears with delight and longing.

"I didn't forget your promise." The voice said evenly.

Elena Cabestan looked up at the top of the stairs, smiling fondly. "So you came here to kill me, Halle?" She inquired teasingly.

The blonde agent only laughed heartedly, and it was enough for Cabestan. She rushed between Mello and Near and climbed up the stairs hastily. As she arrived at the step right below the one Lidner was standing on, she gripped the other woman's collar and lured her down to her, their lips colliding fiercely, their tongues mingling and trashing. When they parted, the two women did not need to speak their feelings, for they were all written on the graceful curve of their smile.

The two women, hand in hand, got back down to Near's and Mello's level.

"So I see L is getting back to business." Elena turned to Near, nodding curtly. "And you accepted to work with L." She added, now turning to Mello.

"No."

All eyes turned to Near who had spoken so bluntly. "What, no?" Elena arched an eyebrow.

"I am not L." Near stated dully, causing Mello, Lidner and Cabestan to eye him dubiously.

He took a step towards his partner and, extending a lean hand to him, he grabbed Mello's hand, his gaze still fixed on a point somewhere behind the lawyer's head. Then, his bottomless eyes bored into Elena's hazel eyes as his mouth opened to say the most significant words he had ever pronounced.

" _We_ are L."

Mello's eyes widened as his hand was suspended in mid air, his chocolate bar escaping his grip and falling to the ground in a light _thud_. The blonde man whirled around to look at the younger boy in pure amazement as he reached out a hand, stroking Near's livid cheek, a shining, compelling smile dancing across his mouth. Without further ado, he placed his hands on each side of Near's pale face, and leant in closer.

"Yes, Nate..." Mello's whispered against Near's lips, which twitched into a tiny smirk. "Alone, we're just lost orphans. But you and I, together..."

Finally, Mello pressed his lips to Near's in the most natural, sincere way, the endearing smile never leaving his features, even as he pulled back, blue eyes melting into black.

" _We_ are L."

 ** _The End_**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So this is the end. I am very sorry for this very, very long chapter but I truly wanted to give you all the elements to end this story as best as I could.  
I feel both relieved and nostalgic to post this last chapter, I suppose I've grown attached to this story after all.

I made a reference to Harry Potter because I suddenly realized how similar were Cabestan's and Snape's story.  
To those who have not read the books nor seen the movies, I will not spoil you, but let's just say that if you replace Lily and James Potter by Light and L, Severus Snape by Elena Cabestan and Mello and Near by Harry Potter, this is so accurate it's almost disturbing. Though it was not on purpose since I started reading Harry Potter after writing this fiction.  
But to those who know Harry Potter, I just wanted to make the parallel, for I know some of you here like to think and reflect on their own. So I figured I'd give you this key of reflection.

 **Anyway, thank you all for reading and following this story, it was really a pleasure to share it with you.**  
 **A special thanks for those who reviewed and shared their thoughts regularly, your support was everything to me.**

I hope you all liked that story and how it ended.

 **For those interested, I plan to write another Death Note fanfiction and a Black Butler fiction as well. Check my profile for further informations.**

 **Please indulge me and tell me what you think about this last chapter, it would mean a lot to me.**

Bye bye, humans!

 _ **C.**_


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